


Falling Stars: Fading Comets

by StarvingLunatic



Series: Falling Stars [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoption, Asexual Character, Character Death, Child Neglect, Children, Domestic Violence, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/M, Family, Fantasy, Fist Fights, Magic, Martial Arts, Parenthood, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prequel, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Royalty, Sequel, Sisters, Slice of Life, Swords, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:41:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 25
Words: 133,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26550799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarvingLunatic/pseuds/StarvingLunatic
Summary: This story picks up whereFalling Stars: Burning Brightended. Etayay and her sisters are living among the Wolf Tribe and adjusting to life in the palace. It is strange for them to be there, but they're not the only ones. It was strange for Innya, Etayay's mother-in-law, to live there, too. How did she end up living somewhere she hated?Updated Saturdays.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Falling Stars [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/414397
Kudos: 7





	1. Coming Together

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is the second story in the "Falling Stars" series. The first story was posted a couple of years ago. I'm determined to finish the series, though. If you need to read the first story, [Falling Stars: Burning Bright](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6117325?view_full_work=true), follow the link. You definitely need to read the first story to understand what's going on in this one. This story is going to have some rough spots, but I’ll try to give fair warning before we get to them.
> 
> Come say hi to me on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SL-Kassidy-482097488469386/). You can get news about this and other stories. I’m also on Tumblr: [Slunatic](https://slunatic.tumblr.com/)

Falling Stars: Fading Comets

1: Coming Together

Etayay rolled her shoulders as she made herself comfortable under her favorite, thick oak tree in the palace garden. There were times life still seemed like a dream. She lived in a palace with space as wide as the forest she used to explore as a child. It was strange to have so much space considering she spent most of her life in a room a little bit larger than a closet. And she lived with the Wolf Tribe. It was mind blowing. Beyond that, she was the wife of the Wolf Tribe’s High Prince and they had a child together. She had a loving family. She never imagined her life going in such a direction, but there it was. She was… content, she supposed it would be called. But, it was more. She did not have the emotional vocabulary. 

The smell of sweet grass and peppermint wafted by Etayay and she inhaled. The scent settled the energy stirring in her soul. The simple touch of nature pulled at everything that made her a transcendent and made her want to reach out, expand, and pour out everything inside of her to connect with the world even more. 

Eryna was right behind Etayay, sitting down right next to her and watching her every move. Eryna wanted to study with her and she doubted a better time would come. She enjoyed helping Eryna ascend. One day, it would be nice to see Eryna have an even higher understanding of the universe than she did. _She’ll be more of a transcendent than I ever could_. And Etayay would only feel proud.

The day was magnificent, ideal for mediating. The sun was high in the warm, blue sky, which was dotted with a few thin, stretched out clouds.. Sunny and bright, but not too hot and not too cool, not that it really mattered to the sisters. Etayay and Eryna dressed the same all year round in their transcendent robes, red and white and pink and white respectively. The robes were generally light, as they could regulate their own temperatures thanks to their magic. 

Etayay set herself up, folding her legs under her and cupping her hands in her lap. A sigh left her mouth the moment the sunlight hit her face. It was like having the world smile on her.

There were birds singing and insects buzzing around. Each noise danced down Etayay’s nerves and she delighted in all of it. There was no way Etayay could have stayed inside on a day like this. It was like a magnetic force pulled her out there. It was something that set her apart from Eryna, who could stay inside for days, weeks, months on end. That was no way to discover the universe to Etayay, but Eryna had a depth of knowledge from reading that Etayay would never truly comprehend.

“It’s nice out,” Eryna said.

“It’s always nice out to me,” Etayay replied. There was no time she would not rather be outside, but when there was so much life going on outside was the best.

Eryna laughed. “You’re weird.” Etayay had heard that her entire life.

“Sissy!” Poya and Eka yelled happily as they ran up behind Etayay. They climbed up Etayay’s back as if she was a tree and they were squirrels. Her height might have had something to with their desire to climb her all the time. They clung to her and she was grateful they were both light. They did not seem to realize they were getting too big for that, acting as if they were toddlers rather than seven-year-olds.

“What’re you doing today, sissy?” Eka inquired with a smile. Her dark blue eyes sparkled and shined. It was early morning and her robes were already askew. The blue violet outside hung loose, displaying more of the white than she should have.

“Mediating,” Etayay answered.

“That’s boring!” Poya shouted right in her ear and she puffed out her glowing cheeks. She was already worked up from running around. She and Eka wanted to do something fun with their “sissy” and it was hard to stop them when they had an idea in their hive mind.

“I’m sure to you, it’s boring, but we must take into account this is me.” Etayay pressed her hand to her chest. “Also, I told Eryna that I’d help her ascend whenever I had the time. She’s sick of being pushed around by Innya’s students.”

“They’re so mean!” Eka gripped Etayay’s shoulder tight in her fury with Innya’s students.

“They are! They tried to hurt Sissy when she first got here, too! But, of course, they couldn’t hurt Sissy.” Poya put her chin in the air, boasting for Etayay in a way Etayay would never be able to do for herself.

“Of course not!” Eka agreed.

Eryna clapped her hands against her knees. “Well, I’m tired of them bothering me and coming after me. There are just too many of them for me to be able to do anything against them.”

“Doesn’t help that you get scared easily either,” Eka said with a chuckle. Poya snickered right along with her.

“What?” Eryna huffed, nostrils flaring.

Eka shrugged her small shoulder. “What? You do.” 

Poya nodded, backing her best friend as always. They had seen Eryna in action on more than one occasion and they were not sure if there was another person on the planet who panicked as easily as Eryna. Etayay thought the same, but knew Eryna could be trained to stop. They needed to put the work into it.

“Don’t worry, Eryna. We’ll overcome this and show you that Innya’s students are more show than anything else,” Etayay said as she climbed to her feet with both little girls hanging off of her. They would not get anything done until the young duo was properly distracted. 

Eryna nodded as she followed Etayay to a wider, more open section of the garden. They went to a clear corner and Etayay removed the children from her person. She did not say anything. They got the hint and there were butterflies not too far off.

Poya and Eka ran off to a nearby flower patch with all of the butterflies and busied themselves. They wasted no time picking flowers, tying them together to make crowns. They also chased butterflies, caught them, and released them.

Etayay watched the children for a long moment before she sat down again. She folded her legs and made sure her robes stayed proper and covered her lower limbs completely. She cupped her hands in her lap and Eryna followed her example.

“Now what?” Eryna inquired.

“It’s very simple. I’ve trained like this since I was about nine and read about it in books. I’m sure you have at least glanced at those same books. You’re going to reach down inside of yourself to reach outside,” Etayay replied.

“Outside of what?”

“Outside of everything. Connecting within will help you connect outside here and beyond. You’ll be able to touch the edges of the universe if you do this properly.”

Eryna nodded. “Have you?”

“I’ve never tried. What good is the edge of the universe? Now, just relax,” Etayay said. She took a deep breath and Eryna copied her big sister.

“Now?”

“Clear your mind and close your eyes.”

“And then?”

“Why must you always question before trying? It’ll come to you. You’ll feel it take hold and dig into yourself and discover so much. It isn’t as difficult as you’d like to believe it is, Eryna. Just relax and try.”

“All right.” Eryna took another deep breath.

The sisters closed their eyes and synced their breathing. They concentrated on the task at hand, soul searching. They blocked out everything around them, focusing on within. 

Etayay allowed the sounds around her to filter through because even the noise of the children playing was sweet music to her. She could tell from their laughter that Poya and Eka were having the time of their lives, as they always did when they were together. She loved that they were both happy, especially because they were so happy together. There was a giddiness to it that Etayay did not understand and could not figure out, even through months of observation. What she did understand was how fortunate they were to have each other.

“Hey, let’s go get Sissy,” Poya suggested to her best friend in a whisper.

“Yeah, let’s go get her,” Eka replied.

The mischievous pair charged Etayay and hit her with enough force to knock her over, but she barely moved. They climbed all over Etayay once more. No one had yet to figure out why the girls enjoyed using Etayay as a cliff face and no one understood why Etayay allowed them to do such a thing. It did not bother her and they loved it. That was good enough for Etayay.

Eryna glanced over at her sisters and her face twisted a bit. She was baffled by Etayay’s indifference toward being used as a toy by the children. Eryna certainly would not let them climb all over her, especially after they were just playing in the dirt, no matter how fun they thought it was. There were plenty of trees around the garden, and the palace in general, for the girls to climb all over.

“Concentrate,” Etayay said to Eryna.

Eryna yelped and closed her eyes. She took a few breaths and refocused on meditating. Etayay could feel Eryna as she settled in. That was good. _This will suit her well_.

Everything was fine for a few minutes. The children were busy and delighted while tugging on Etayay’s silk robes. Eryna got deep into her new form of training. Etayay was fine with everything and relaxed. Then, there was a shift in the mood. Etayay stiffened for just a moment. The children felt the change and paused for a moment while Eryna could simply feel the change in the air, like there was pressure around them suddenly. Eryna was about to inquire why her sister tensed.

“Just concentrate,” Etayay said. If they got to train like this long enough, she was confident Eryna would be able to tap into the simple change in air pressure and figure out who was around. But, she had to get Eryna to the point where she could ignore the world around them in favor of the world within them.

Eryna nodded, knowing Etayay could take care of herself. Still, there was a tightness in her posture for a long moment. It might have been because of her lacking in an area of magic she should have figured out or she might have just been bothered because Etayay had been for a moment.

Etayay relaxed again, but the reason for why she had tensed up was obvious to them all. The presence as it crept closer and Eryna had to feel it. She was anxious now, energy buzzing through the air to Etayay. Eryna flinched once the person stood near her and her focus was gone. 

Eryna opened her eyes to see Innya, Etayay’s mother-in-law and by far the most frightening woman Eryna had ever met, stood in front of Etayay with a sword to the mediating female’s throat. Innya was almost the same size as Etayay while Etayay was sitting down. It was a bit funny for someone so scary to be so small. Eryna gulped while the two younger girls hid behind Etayay and snickered. Etayay was blasé about the blade at her neck and remained calm, a characteristic Eryna never truly understood. Etayay hoped to train that into Eryna, though.

“Why aren’t you carrying your sword?” Innya asked Etayay. Her voice, cold and menacing, struck terror into Eryna’s heart. 

Eryna was not alone when it came to that fear, as most people would have thought it was stupid to not be afraid. But, Etayay had been called stupid for her entire life, so that explained her attitude. Innya’s eyes were a piercing onyx that Etayay easily looked into, but only she and Poya could do such a thing. Even Tonotec, a fearsome warrior in his own right, hesitated to look his mother in her eyes.

“I’m spending the day with my sister today,” Etayay replied and most people would wonder what that had to do with Innya’s question, but Innya understood Etayay. She was one of the few people who tended to follow Etayay when she spoke. Etayay did not have a use for the weapon at the moment and that was why she was not carrying it.

“Oh, really? She should be carrying a sword, too.” Innya smirked and dropped the sword into Eryna’s lap.

“Ah! I didn’t touch it!” Eryna jumped to her feet as if she had been set on fire and the sword dropped to the ground. Eryna had recently learned that transcendents were not even allowed to touch weapons and she did her best to stick to the rules, even though she had touched weapons in the past. According to her, the past did not count because she did not know. Etayay did not argue that.

Innya laughed. “You’re by far the jumpiest kid I’ve ever met and I’ve met Hetanu.”

“Oh!” Eka howled and she pointed at the sword in her sister’s lap. “I’m telling!” She wagged her finger at Eryna.

Eryna waved her hands. “I didn’t touch it! I didn’t touch it!”

Innya shook her head and focused on Etayay. “Your sister never ceases to amaze me. Or is it amuse me?” She tapped her chin as she smirked.

“Must you torment her?” Etayay inquired as she stood up. She picked up the disregarded sword. “You’re almost as bad as your students.”

Innya scoffed. “I’m looking for a laugh. They’re looking to kill her. That’s hardly the same thing. Now, you should carry your sword at all times, no matter what you’re doing.” Innya motioned to the weapon in Etayay’s hand. 

“You can’t!” Eka and Eryna stared at her with horror in their dark blue eyes. They looked like she grew two heads in front of them.

“She can and will. She better.” Innya stared at Etayay, trying to will her into submission. They both knew that was a waste. Etayay was not one who could be threatened or bullied. It was one of the things Innya adored about her.

“But, transcendents aren’t allowed to handle weapons,” Eryna said.

“That’s why she’s a Wolf,” Innya commented as she put her hand on Etayay’s shoulder. It was quite the reach for Innya, who was very short. It was slightly amusing to Etayay that Innya tried to intimidate her while being so tiny. If Etayay ever felt the urge, she could probably pick Innya up and carry her around.

Despite her height, Innya was the deadliest person Etayay and her sisters had ever met in their short lives. Innya never seemed to notice her own height, possibly because her personality took up so much space. Not to mention, she could devour anyone who dared to try to make her feel inferior due to her height.

“She’s not a Wolf!” Eryna went as far as to glare down Innya. She and her mother did not like Innya and Tonotec declaring Etayay was a Wolf because she was not and it was obvious since she did not have a tail or pointed ears or claws for fingernails. Her sister was a transcendent and the Wolves needed to accept that, Eryna often argued. Etayay never bothered.

A half-smile settled on Innya’s face. “She is. Why else would she be holding that sword?”

Etayay held up a hand to stop them. “I do appreciate the both of you trying to put a label on me, but we’re all aware that I’m not a transcendent nor am I a Wolf.” Eryna would not back down from an argument no matter who she was arguing with and it was pointless to Etayay to debate on what she was when she had not even decided yet.

“Then, what are you, Sissy?” both Poya and Eka asked. They had the same mind at this point. They were almost the same person. It was adorable.

“It doesn’t matter at the moment,” Etayay replied. What was in a label? Transcendents had thrown her away, followed her to Wolves, who had embraced her, and Wolves who hated her. She was Etayay. That was enough. Existence was enough.

“Okay!” The little girls shrugged. They did not care what Etayay was as long as she was always their “sissy.” They moved on, like they were about to go back to the business of climbing all over Etayay. 

“Don’t do it. I’m holding a deadly weapon. Mistakes could be made,” Etayay warned the children. They both pouted.

“But, if something did happen you could heal us!” Eka motioned between herself and Poya.

“I’d rather not have to heal you,” Etayay replied. She would never forgive herself if they were harmed because of her, even if she could easily put them back together.

“You two shouldn’t be climbing on her and such nonsense, anyway,” Innya told the girls and she gave them a hard look.

Poya pouted. “Sorry, Mommy.”

“Poya, what have I told you about apologizing?” Innya growled as her long black tail thrashed behind her violently because she was annoyed.

Poya’s brow furrowed. “But, I didn’t know the rules apply to you, too.”

Innya pointed a long claw at her daughter. “They apply to everybody. You never apologize. Never do anything that you will feel the need to apologize for after all is said and done. Now, leave Etayay and her highly nervous sister alone to their practicing. You two cubs need to go get in some trouble, anyway.” Innya waved them off with a flick of her wrist. Her daughter and Eka shrugged before running off.

“You’re aware they’re not going to get into any trouble at all,” Etayay said. The worst those two would do was get in someone’s nerves.

“No, they never do. Either your mother stops them or they get out of trouble because they are so damn adorable,” Innya replied.

“I know.” Etayay nodded. “Funny that your daughter would be so adorable.”

Innya arched an eyebrow. “I could say the same for your baby sister.”

“Eryna and I could’ve been adorable if we really wanted to,” Etayay said with a small, amused smile. That was probably a lie, at least for her anyway.

Innya laughed and shook her head. “I doubt that and we all really need you to stop trying to make jokes. You’re awful.”

Eryna smiled. “For once, I agree.”

“See, you’re wising up then, little transcendent.” Innya placed a friendly hand on Eryna’s shoulder. Though Innya frightened the teenager beyond reason, Eryna knew Innya was not a terrible person who would ever try to hurt her. She was comfortable around Innya, as comfortable as a person could be in the company of an anger-prone, deadly assassin. 

It was not that Innya was a good person either and Eryna was well aware of that fact, but Eryna tended to follow her older sister’s example, no matter how weird it might be. Etayay did not treat Innya as a threat or danger, so Eryna was comfortable around her. She could tell that Innya would never hurt anyone in their family.

“Stop calling me ‘little transcendent.’ I’m bigger than you are,” Eryna said. She was taller than Innya by a head.

Innya shook her head. “When you can clash swords with me and stand your ground, then you can say you’re bigger than I am and I’ll stop calling you ‘little transcendent’ if I feel like it.”

A small smile drifted across Etayay’s face. “That would explain why no one claims to be bigger than you are.”

“No one that’s wise, anyway,” Innya said.

“Even the King,” Etayay said. That was something that stood out to her. The King was rude to Innya and tried to control her, yes, but he could not. He even tried to intimidate her, but he never mentioned his height when doing it. He might look down on her, but it never felt like a literal thing, even though it was. 

Eryna watched them and scratched her forehead. “Now, this is just something I don’t get.”

Innya groaned and looked at Etayay with a twinkle in her eye. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“Allow me,” Etayay offered and turned her attention to her sister. “Eryna, what is it that you don’t get?”

“Her.” The teenager pointed at Innya. “It just doesn’t make sense to me why she’s here. I try to add it up, but it doesn’t come out right. It never comes out right. I mean, I know she’s the King’s wife. But, it’s clear it’s not something she wants to be. So, why is she even here? I mean, as bad as she is — and I’m sure she’s badder than we even guess — what in the world is she doing some place she doesn’t want to be? I mean, it’s so obvious she and the King aren’t very… well… Etayay, help me out.” Eryna’s face twisted up as she tried to understand how someone made Innya do something she did not want to do.

“You already said it. She doesn’t understand why you married the King,” Etayay explained to her mother-in-law.

“Or why your daughter’s one of the most adorable, sweetest of all the little kids I have ever met, yet your son is… well… Etayay, help me out,” Eryna requested again.

“She doesn’t understand why Tonotec is so much like you while Poya is quite the opposite,” Etayay clarified.

Innya stared at the sisters. “Is she trying to say she wants to hear my life story or something?”

“Well…” Eryna trailed off as a blush colored her cheeks and she dipped her head. She felt like she was being nosy.

“Yes, she does,” Etayay answered for her sister. 

“Your sister’s good at throwing her voice, Etayay. Can you talk while she drinks a glass of water?” Innya slapped Eryna in the arm.

“Ow! Why’d you hit me and not her for the joke?” Eryna rubbed her bicep.

“I’d like to think I was the one in charge of our little show, but feel free to give Eryna the credit as I hate to be praised at all at this point in my life,” Etayay replied. Even joke-praise at this point made her itchy.

Innya chuckled a bit. Etayay was one of the few people who could make her laugh, even though Etayay was very dry when it came to humor because she only had one tone of voice. Much of the time, Etayay was not even trying to be funny. When she did try, everyone thought her jokes were horrible. She was still trying to understand how humor worked.

“Are you going to… you know… tell us?” Eryna asked.

Innya shrugged. “My story’s far from a secret. You two were just fortunate to not live here when it happened.”

“You invited us to live here,” Eryna said.

“No, my son and his brother invited you to live here. I just make sure you don’t encounter as many problems as you would if I weren’t here. Now, do you want to hear how this all happened or not?” Innya asked as she folded her arms across her chest. 

Eryna held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, okay.”

Eryna could not wait to hear how Innya came to her current situation. Eryna had tried to figure it out since she had first come to know Innya, but nothing she came up with made any sense. Innya seemed to hate it in the palace and if Innya hated something, she changed it to better fit her sensibilities or at least learned how to fit it into her life in a comfortable manner. Neither of those things happened here, so what happened?

“Should we sit down? I feel like we should sit down,” Eryna said, almost bouncing on her heels. She was eager to hear what she believed would be a good story. 

Innya looked at Etayay with a small grimace. “What is this?” She motioned to Eryna and her giddiness. 

“She loves a good story,” Etayay replied. She was indifferent to the whole matter, but it was because she had already heard the whole affair from Innya and from Tonotec. It was supposed to be a warning story, she supposed, like to help her understand how to navigate the King and the palace. She did not need to avoid the King, as he never bothered with her. The rest of the palace was like much of the world to her, she was not there to them and they were not there to her.

Etayay thought it was best for her to stick around to provide the proper censorship of the story, though. Her sister was very sheltered and her mother would disapprove of Eryna hearing the whole story, down to some dirty details. Not to mention, Innya would like to tell Eryna some of the gory details to watch her squirm. While she was not a bad person, per se, Innya was a sadist to a degree.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: how Innya’s nightmare began.


	2. It’s Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: there’s some violence in this chapter.

2: It’s Home

It all started right after the Forbidden Scripture, as the transcendents had dubbed the book of spells penned by the Wolf King, was stolen. Innya, a top assassin even in her youth, had been handpicked to go after the little transcendent who stole the book. She had known the transcendent thief before there were any hard feelings raised between the Wolves and all transcendents. When they were children, they played together almost everyday. He had frustrated her even back then, but that had been between friends. 

Now, he frustrated her as her enemy and she wanted nothing more than to rip his head off of his shoulders. His barrier spells kept her from doing her job, putting up an invisible wall she could not break through. It was a testament to his magic, but also showed she still needed training. He got away and she had not been able to retrieve the book.

He made her look weak and pathetic and she hated nothing more than that. She would train for the sole purpose of killing that little scarred transcendent (of course, it amused her in the present to know that the transcendent she despised so passionately was the father of her beloved daughter-in-law). She would not be a failure.

Innya went to the Pit to blow off some steam and start her training. It was a large, open area where warriors of the Wolf Tribe fought and trained. It smelled like sweat, mold, and mud, which was basically all it was. It was mostly a giant dirt patch, but there were a few spots where there were large, thick mud puddles. There were also stocky wooden poles at one end, a place to toughen up skin and bone, as warriors punched and kicked at the unimaginative dummies. There was a spot to lift stone weights and build muscle. Every area had activity going on. 

She had her sword slung over her left shoulder, cradled against her black linen vest, as she watched potential opponents fight. She wanted in on the action. She scanned for someone worthy and it seemed like no one wanted to meet her eye.

She frowned. No one was a challenge to her anymore in the Wolf Tribe anymore. _Everyone’s soft_. She just wished they tried. 

How was she supposed to get a decent workout if everybody in the Pit fought like scared cubs? She could take on a whole group of so-called warriors and at least release the rage building inside of her as thoughts of her failed mission echoed through her mind. _How did that idiot little transcendent know barrier spells I couldn’t break?_ He had never been _that_ good, or maybe she did not notice. She needed to hurt someone, now.

“Hey, if it isn’t the shrimp,” a tall man said as he had the gall to rub the top of Innya’s head as if she was a child, mussing her short, black hair. He wore a fancy, sleeveless tunic, showing off tanned, cut muscles. The insignia of two, silver tails on a golden patch stood out on his dark blue shirt. He smiled down at her, showing off sharp fangs.

Innya smirked like a demon ready to devour his soul. “Thank you for volunteering.”

His shoulders bounced as he chuckled. “For what?”

“This.” Innya grabbed his hand and flung his with much ease to the center of the dirt covered Pit. The people fighting halted their actions to stare at the downed man and then they noticed Innya advancing on him. It did not take the warriors long to realize it would serve them best to get out of the way as soon as possible and give Innya some room.

“I wonder if she’ll kill him,” someone muttered.

“It doesn’t matter. This’ll be good,” another person replied.

“She looks pissed,” another person noted about Innya.

Innya was pissed and could not hide it. She stood in front of the fool who dared to touch her without her permission. He was still on the ground, appearing as pathetic as he did when he soared uncontrollably through the air. If she had no honor, she would have killed him while he was lying at his proper level, at her feet. But, she did not really like to kill unless she was in the heat of battle… or if the person was somehow, in her opinion, begging for death. He was not begging for death yet, but being so pitiful he should have been.

Innya growled and her bushy, onyx tail thrashed behind her. “Get up.”

“Quite the arm for such a small fry,” he declared with a pained laugh as he climbed to his feet. He tried to hide the fact that she had hurt him, but she did not see he would try such a thing. It was not like it was a surprise anyone except him.

“You’ve obviously got a death wish. I’m in the mood to answer such a call,” she replied and she tapped her weapon, still draped over her shoulder.

He smirked. “One tough cookie, huh?”

She studied him for a moment, trying to figure out if he had some kind of mental defect, but he looked sound from where she stood. “I get it. You’re just so stupid that it’s made you not want to live a moment longer. All right. I can understand that. Let’s play.” She rolled her shoulders.

“Are you serious? I’m a member of the King’s guards.” He motioned to the patch on his shirt. “You’re just a shrimp that can’t even find one little transcendent.” Beyond the patch on his shirt, his status was obvious from the yellow armband wrapped around his thick bicep. He displayed the royal symbol as if it made him worthwhile. If only the Guard knew how this part of the village actually worked.

Innya was pissed before, but now she was… well, now her blood boiled and she feared she might pop a vessel. She did not know people were made as stupid as the man before her. Obviously, he was delivered to her just so she could end his suffering and probably the suffering of anyone who had to spend time with him. It would be a mercy to the Tribe really.

“You talk too much. Draw your weapon,” Innya said.

“You’re serious.” He chuckled as if she had told him a joke. 

She inspected him and saw he was not armed. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Calling him an idiot would be too kind.

“You don’t have a weapon, do you?” she asked. “Who the hell comes to the Pit without their weapon?” She grew to hate the man in front of her more and more with every second that passed.

He laughed even more, hand going to his cloth belt as he held his belly. “I don’t believe this.”

“Never come to the Pit without a weapon. That’s just suicide in and of itself. Someone throw this ghost a sword,” Innya said.

Blades came at them from all directions in all shapes, sizes, and types. None of the warriors cared if the weapon was a family heirloom, or their favorite, or brand new, or anything else. They knew Innya spoke and made a demand. The demand was met and they got to live a little longer. They were smarter than this arrogant gnat.

“Pick one,” Innya told the guard as she unsheathed her own long, narrow, and thin broadsword.

“I don’t believe this.” He shook his head, curly hair swaying, as he looked down at the pile of swords at their side.

She growled. “Pick.” Her patience was already almost nonexistent and she was ready to cut him down for being a pompous fool.

The crowd muttered, some actually feeling sorry for the guard, just a little bit. He obviously did not know about Innya, except for the fact that she was very short and had failed at her most recent assignment. He was much too ignorant of life in the village, spending too much time in the palace. There was a lot more to Innya than those couple of things. 

“Sounds like the Royal Guard needs to come down off the hill every now and then,” someone in the crowd said with a chuckle.

The Royal Guards were an uppity group of warrior nobles and most other warriors did not like them much. They lived on the hill, just below the palace. They escaped most of the problems of the village and thought they were better than the drudges of society.

The crowd would not mind watching Innya destroy her opponent, which she had a mind to do. Maybe if the guards left the Royal Estate every now and then and stepped into the real world, they would know better than to make fun of Innya’s height and then challenge the untouchable force that she was, especially when she was in a bad mood. The Royal Guards needed to stop thinking they were the best group of warriors just because they had the word “royal” in their pack name. Being handpicked by the King did not mean much down in the Pit.

Innya’s annoyance with the guard grew by the second until he finally chose a sword. The blade he picked was nothing special, but happened to be familiar to Innya. The sword belonged to an arrogant little son of a bitch (and she meant that in the most insulting manner possible) and she would like nothing more than to break it just to see the owner near tears. _I have to be furious if I not only want to kill this prick, but I want to make another cry just for my entertainment_. She did not care, though.

“So, are we going to do this, shorty?” the Guard asked Innya.

She answered the question by twirling her sword in her hand and she got into a fighting stance. He got into a stance as well and she shook her head. He really had no idea what he was getting into.

She charged straight at him and he saw she was posed to bring her blade upwards, so he blocked her attack. She wanted him to do that. She growled and forced her sword right through his. She knocked the weapon from his hand and smirked as the two pieces of sword landed behind him, the points landing straight up in the dirt. He gulped as her sword touched the bottom of his chin. Sweat slid down his cheek as he stared at her with wide blue eyes.

Innya glared at him, blood still burning. “Now, you have two choices. You can either apologize for your earlier remarks on my height and for petting me or I can kill you fair and square and make a lot of people happy, including myself.”

“I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized as another bead of sweat ran down his cheek. Sweat also peppered his quivering upper lip.

Innya curled her lip. “You Royal Guards are pathetic. Any real warrior would’ve chosen death before making such a pitiful apology.” 

She turned around and looked at the crowd. They were all obviously dissatisfied with the extremely rapid battle. They were not alone in that. Her blood still bubbled and raged, craving a pound of flesh that his weakness would not satisfy. Innya turned back to the Guard and thrust her sword into his shoulder to punish him for wasting everyone’s time, especially her time.

“Why?” He groaned as she removed her sword from his body. He held the wound, blood pouring through the gaps in his fingers, soaking his high-priced cotton.

She spat at his feet. “To remind you of how foolish you are. When you come into the Pit, be prepared to die, just like everyone else.” She turned to pick up her sword sheath.

The Guard growled. Apparently, he did not take too kindly to being thoroughly embarrassed quite easily by a short, female warrior who had failed at what many people thought was an easy assignment. He grabbed the closest sword to him and charged her. Since she had her back to him, he must have thought he had her. Innya rolled her eyes and sidestepped his attack. She almost wanted to yawn because of the effort. As he flew past her, she put her sword through his shoulder again. Once he regained his balance, he turned around to face her while bleeding a small puddle onto the dirt.

“This is how Royal Guards fight? You go to stab opponents in the back in a one on one contest?” Innya inquired. _More pathetic than we give them credit for around here_.

“Kill him!” someone in the crowd shouted.

Innya shrugged. “Here in the Pit, only honorable warriors step forward. You don’t even deserve to be in here and if I don’t kill you, someone else will eventually. I might as well save that person the trouble. I always like to be the person who kills someone who’s going to get killed anyway.”

The Guard glared at her and snarled. Innya hoped he was not attempting to scare her because only one person could scare her and it was not fighting that person that scared her anyway. The Guard charged her again and she barely moved any part of her body to counter him and split him—

-8-8-8-8-

Etayay stopped the story already, holding up on hand. “You’re getting a little too bloody,” she said her mother-in-law.

Innya’s mouth fell open. “She’s grown.” She pointed at Eryna.

“She’s not _that_ grown.”

“She’s grown enough. It’s just a little blood and gore. Don’t be so uptight.” It was not like it was Eryna’s first experience with blood and gore. Eryna had more experience with it than she should.

“Try to keep it clean,” Etayay replied.

“She’s old enough to decide for herself.”

Etayay stared Innya down, no fear, no flinching, just wonderful force. “Keep it clean.”

Innya rolled her eyes. Etayay was overprotective of her seventeen-year-old sister. It was quite irksome, especially while she was trying to tell a story. Innya made a mental note to try to get Etayay to change her stance on violence, but before that, she had to torment and freak Eryna out a little bit.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya killed the Guard with no problem or remorse at the time, but she would later realize it was her first mistake in ruining her life for a long time. Slaying him did not do much to relieve her of her pinned up rage, though. Great, not only was he stupid, but he was useless, too! 

She kicked his corpse and then she placed her sword back into the scabbard. She was tempted to continue kicking the carcass until she was no longer angry, but there were other warriors around. She could relieve her fury on them. 

“Anybody?” Innya inquired while turning the crowd. She was requesting a fresh punching bag, even though she would call it looking for a volunteer to be a sparring partner. 

Every warrior in the Pit wisely kept their mouths shut and pretended to be busy while undoubtedly praying Innya would leave the area without picking on any of them. Innya snarled, showing her fangs. Several people flinched, but did not dare look up. 

She tossed her sword over her shoulder and quietly stormed away. _Damn those warriors! Damn that transcendent!_ She needed something to get her mind off of that stupid, little, scarred transcendent.

Innya wandered the village in search of a reason to tear a person in half. The streets were usually overcrowded, but they emptied for Innya when she walked down the dirt roads. People parted as if they were sliced bread, falling away from each other and falling over each other. They dived into shops, stalls, and even homes. They cowered behind signs, carts, and even livestock cages. They were silent, doing their best not to draw attention to themselves.

The winding streets of the village, sometime with no rhyme or reason to them, did nothing to help her mood. Why the hell was the village so damn big? They called it a village, but she had been to smaller cities! Cities that smelled much better and did not have so many buildings fallen into disrepair. There were times when it seemed like everyone lived on top of each other and pressed each other. Not the best environment for her when she was in a foul mood. Someone could easily end up dead.

She made it home in a short time since everyone was wisely staying out of her way. She had no idea what possessed her to go home. Being home certainly would not help her rage disappear, nor would it present her with an outlet for her anger. 

She watched her step as she made her way to her tiny house. The neighbors across the road were out, screaming at each other. It looked like their thatched roof had collapsed. It would not be the first time. Their home was constantly crumbling and it was not alone in that. It seemed like at least once a week someone lost their roof, a wall collapsed, a window was broken, or something was on fire.

Chickens and other fowl, rats and other rodents, and small goats populated the street more so than Wolves. Somewhere, there were cubs laughing, but not close enough to see. Still, the noise carried, mingled with other conversations and the animals chatter. 

She trotted up the wooden stairs to their slightly raised house. The door was open, as it always was. No one would dare enter the house, unless they were committing suicide. 

“Mom! Dad!” Innya called into the small four-room house. She was greeted by air-cleansing incense as she entered the clean family room. If they did not have the incense, it would be impossible to live in most parts of the village. The scent would knock out any Wolf if they had to deal with all day.

Innya was part of a small family of warriors, just her and her parents. Her father liked to say they lived modestly, which was putting it kindly. Innya would say they lived poor, which no other warriors did. They could have easily enjoyed life up on the hill with those lazy ass Royal Guards and other warrior nobles.

Innya was certain she was the only true warrior of her generation to know what it was like to not eat everyday. Her father told her that it would keep her humble and make her stronger. She did not doubt him on that, even before she was the most dangerous thing on two legs. But, he was a little wrong on the first thing. She trusted her father because before she was dangerous, he frightened people with a slight glance. Being humble had nothing to do with it.

“Dad’s not here, sweetie,” her mother replied from the kitchen in the back of the house. It was small and barely fit their family of three. The family room was the same.

Innya hoped her mother was fixing a meal of some kind and not just drinking tea. Food might help her take her mind off of everything. Unfortunately, she could not pick up the scent of any food in the air. Her mother drank enough tea that the house carried the aroma all the time.

“Did he have an assignment?” Innya asked as she entered the small kitchen and saw her mother’s long back with her waist-length light gray hair hanging over the back of the chair. She was sitting at their tiny circular table.

Her mother turned to glance at her, a cup of tea and a couple of crackers in view for that moment. Her mother’s deceptively beautiful and enchanting green eyes gave Innya a quick once over before going back to her tea. Her mother had killed scores of warriors before Innya was born because they did not want to believe someone who looked as she did could kill anybody. Her face was soft and her build lithe, like she belonged in a dance troupe rather than an assassin guild. Her athletic figure was hidden underneath one of her husband’s shirts.

“Yes, he left right after you went out. You’re back from training rather early,” her mother replied.

Innya frowned at the mention of her “training.” She sighed. “No one’s worth my time anymore. Those that are stronger than I am are stupid and those that are smarter than I am are weak.”

Her mother nodded in an understanding manner as she stood. She moved over to the oven and checked on what she was cooking. Innya tried to sneak a peek at what the meal was because she could not identify it by smell, but she could not see the food either. It smelled good at least. 

“What’re you making, Mom?” Innya inquired. She had learned in the first couple of years of her life to call her parents by their proper titles and show them respect at all times unless she desired pain in her life. She did it now out of habit and respect, but she did not doubt if they felt it was necessary, her parents could still put her through some pain. In fact, her mother was the only person she was scared of in her life.

Her mother sipped her tea. “It’s a surprise. It’ll help cheer you up.”

“I doubt that, unless of course that’s that lousy, little transcendent you’re cooking,” Innya replied and then she growled at the thought of the scarred transcendent who made her a joke because she failed to destroy him. It was not as easy as everyone would like to believe. She made a fist to vent some of her frustration, but it did not help in any way.

“I still believe it’ll help cheer you, sweetie. Now, while it cooks I know something else that’ll help cheer you up.”

Innya watched her mother curiously as her mother reached above the cupboard. Her mother kept her weapon in the kitchen, which was just strange to Innya, even though she grew up with it. There would be stacks of pots, pans, dishes, and her mother’s chain lined up on the counter. Her mother grabbed a long, thin chain with three hooks at one end. Innya smiled.

“Finally, a challenge,” Innya commented. Definitely a way to work off her frustration.

“Well, I’ll try my best to be,” her mother said modestly as she grabbed one of her crackers.

“I bet you will.”

Her mother ate the cracker and then wrapped her weapon around her hand. “Come now, and after this I think we’ll cut your hair again. Your father’s been complaining about the length.” Her mother flickered her bangs. Her hair was longer than usual, almost to her shoulders.

“Mom,” Innya groaned. Her parents still treated her like she was a little cub, but she had been grown for almost a decade by Wolf standards.

Her mother’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, am I being your mother again?” 

Innya rolled her eyes while hoping her mother did not notice. The action was a sure fire way to get slapped in her house, even if she was grown. She had no doubt her mother would knock her eyes out of her head if she caught her. 

The pair went into the front of the house, which was just the dirt street since they did not have a front yard. The area was one of the back alleys of the village where the forgotten, broken, and poor lived. They did not fall into any of those categories, but they were a simple family like where they lived. The street was covered in dust, the houses were packed together and falling apart, and there was hardly any space to breathe, let alone move around. Everyone made it a point to mind their own business when it best suited them, but there was no privacy really in the neighborhood.

The people on the street knew the scene well when Innya and her mother exited their home with their weapons in their hands. They all got out of the pair’s way, but found a space to watch the action that was about to take place. They even placed bets on the fight that was about to go down. The betting odds favored Innya, but people still bet on her mother because the odds were not so stacked in Innya’s favor that she was a sure win. It was the same thing when Innya and her father stepped out into the street with weapons in their hands.

“I’ve already killed one man today, Mom,” Innya said, which made her mother laugh.

“Sweetie, that man was not me,” she replied.

Innya chuckled somewhat as she unsheathed her sword and tossed the case at their front door. Her mother gripped her weapon loosely, twirling it enough for the hooks to sing through the air. Innya had to watch the chain and hooks her mother held. Her mother often used it to pull her daughter’s sword away from her or tie up Innya’s hands, or worse of all, tie up her ankles and trip her up. Innya hated when she was tripped because her mother would laugh at her for “falling for the same trick.” The pun was worse than the fall to Innya, even with the high probability of landing in some kind of dung.

Innya twirled her sword in her hand, which never impressed her mother, and then she charged. Her mother blocked the sword with her chain and pushed Innya back. With the space between them, her mother swung her chain at Innya in an attempt to catch her daughter’s weapon. Innya knew that move very well and dodged it just in time. She charged her mother again and tried to bring her sword up to her mother’s neck, but all she caught was air and bird feathers as chickens and ducks flapped around them.

“I’m still pretty swift on my feet for such an old lady,” her mother said from behind Innya. The younger assassin turned around in an attempt to cut her mother, but she missed again.

“I’ll catch you yet, Mom,” Innya replied with a growl and then she had to block her mother’s weapon, which was heading straight for her throat. She had to watch her footing as some creature ran across her boots.

Her mother was fast, but she was faster. She could also predict most of her mother’s moves most of the time. Unfortunately, the same could be said for her mother in regards to her. 

Innya decided to surprise her mother and do something that might seem stupid to many other people. She flung her blade at her mother, knowing her mother would dodge. Her mother sidestepped the sword.

“Gotcha!” Innya declared as she tried to drop in on her mother, but the older warrior sidestepped her again and Innya ended up planting her fist into the dirt. Dust flew up around her.

“Try again, baby,” her mother chuckled.

Innya snarled, already sick of her mother calling by childish terms of endearment. She then did something that she normally would consider totally stupid. She charged her mother at full speed and full force. She rammed her mother with her shoulder and launched her mother down the street. She could hear a sound like wood breaking, but that was all. She did not see where her mother landed, which was a bad thing. She liked to keep her opponents in sight when in battles, especially if the opponent happened to be her mother. 

Innya could smell her mother’s perfume before she ever saw the woman only seconds after she had sent her mother flying. She jumped back as her mother descended on her and attempted to punch her as she had just tried to do. Innya thought she was in the clear until her mother kicked her in the chest almost as soon as she hit the ground. Innya went flying and landed in an empty barrel.

“Mom’s the only person I know that gets better with age,” Innya groaned as she tried to get out of the barrel. She hoped her mother did not have a joke or pun that went with her predicament. 

“Look at you, Innya. I’ve had people over a barrel, but never in,” her mother said.

“Your jokes are going to kill me long before you do.”

“Says the grown bitch being kicked around by her mother,” her mother taunted.

“I might be ashamed if I had a normal mother,” Innya replied as she tore her way out of the barrel. 

Innya’s mother tried to catch her off guard and tie her up with her chain, but Innya saw that coming. She caught her mother’s weapon and yanked it from the older female’s grip. Her mother growled and revealed her sharp, but tiny white fangs. Innya smiled and ran at her mother, who dashed for Innya’s sword. When she picked up the blade, she found her daughter had disappeared and she scowled. She sniffed around for Innya, knowing that listening for anyone in their family was just useless. Catching a scent in their neighborhood would be almost as useless, though.

Innya quickly came up behind her mother and wrapped the chain around her throat. Her mother gasped and growled in the same breath. Innya would bet the sound was because her mother never saw her coming. She thought she won and failed to notice her mother had other ideas. Her mother managed to pop the chain with her free hand. She flipped Innya over her shoulder and put the sword to Innya’s neck.

“I’m sorry to have to kill you, sweetie,” her mother teased.

“Mom, you broke your chain,” Innya said. It was only a practice fight, but her mother’s weapon would need serious care to repair it to return to its glory.

Her mother waved the move off. “I knew you wouldn’t expect that. I’ll get your father to fix it for me later when I tell him that you lost to me, yet again. It’ll amuse him and he’ll feel useful to me, which is the only thing holding our marriage together.”

Innya grimaced. “Gross, Mom.”

Her mother laughed. “Get up so we can eat. You’re already so dirty. I’m definitely going to make you wash up before dinner. We don’t want any of this muck to settle.”

“Mom,” Innya groaned as she climbed to her feet. She feared her mother because she thought one day the woman would nag her to death. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya attracts the wrong type of attention.


	3. Many Have Tried

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters are mine. Please, do not use them without my permission.

3: Many Have Tried

Innya retrieved her mother’s broken weapon and her sword sheath from their fight in the street. She then followed her mother inside of their house. She could hear their neighbors arguing about the bets they placed on the fight before she shut the door.

She tossed her sheath in the direction of her bedroom, whether it made it in there or not she would find out later. She put her mother’s weapon down on the sofa while her mother took out dinner, which happened to be roasted boar. 

Innya had only had boar once and she had been very young when she had eaten it, but she remembered it was one of the best things she had ever tasted. Spices and such probably had something to do with it, but the meat was amazing. It had melted in her mouth, flavor exploding on every part of her tongue. It was expensive to buy though, so her father did not allow them to have it unless they went into the woods and caught the boar themselves, which none of them had the time to do. 

“Don’t tell your father. I just want to cheer you up,” her mother said as she placed the meat on the table. She put out a dish of mixed vegetables as well and slid it in front of Innya.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Innya assured her mother as she jumped right into the meal. She ate half of the boar on her own in one sitting, even with the potatoes and carrots to help fill her up. It was so good, like the meat just melted in her mouth, exactly like she recollected.

“I told you it would cheer you up,” her mother commented, sitting across from Innya. She smiled as she just watched Innya eat.

“I still would’ve preferred it to be that little transcendent bastard,” Innya said, which could have gotten her slapped, but luckily it did not.

“Innya,” her mother scolded her for her use of profane language.

“Mom, I’m grown,” Innya argued. She should be able to use whatever words she felt like, but her parents were funny. They respect that she was grown, but for the most part, they liked to treat her like a cub. Maybe it was because she was the only one. Most of the time, she let it go.

Her mother waved a finger at her. “I don’t care how grown you are. You’re still my daughter and I don’t want you using that kind of language, ever, but especially in the house. Does your father allow you to speak like that around him?”

“No,” Innya mumbled and glanced away. It was a little embarrassing to be a feared assassin, but to be so thoroughly and easily scolded like a little puppy by her mother.

“Then don’t do it again,” her mother said.

“Yes, Mom,” Innya replied, squirming in her seat. Fine, she acted like a cub around her parents, too, but it was not her fault. They had trained her from birth to know her place because they could kill her in a matter of seconds if it pleased them to do so. Killing was a very real aspect of day to day life for Wolves, so cubs understood how important it was to stay on their parents' good sides very early in life. It was a habit to her now to just obey them, even if they could not and would not try to even hurt her badly.

It was a well-known fact that Innya was submissive to her parents, but so was pretty much every other Wolf in the village. No one made fun of her for being reprimanded if they witnessed it. No one said anything if they saw her chase after her parents. No one batted an eye if she moved to carry out an order from her parents. They all understood why she obeyed her parents, even though she was grown and feared. 

All Wolf cubs obeyed their parents almost blindly. That was just their culture. They were brought up to know their parents gave them life and protected them long before they even entered the world. Not only that, those same parents could take that life away if they felt it was necessary. Cubs were owned by their parents, to do with whatever they wished until they deemed the cub capable of handling life on their own. 

Cubs were taught they would be lost without their parents and they should always remain grateful. Those who forgot that lesson and their place were reminded of that belief by their parents and other outraged Wolves in whatever manner those parties decided. Many unruly cubs had been tamed by family members outside of their parents to prevent them from ever testing their parents again.

“I’m going to cut your hair tonight, but first I want you to get cleaned up,” her mother said.

“Yes, Mom,” Innya replied as if she did not want to have her hair cut or like she did not want to get clean, but she did. Her hair was falling in her face, bothering her eyes. It was definitely too long.

“And stop being so grouchy!” Her mother grabbed her by the head and pulled Innya in for a hug. 

Innya made a gagging noise in surprise. She hated being hugged and short. Her mother leaned down and kissed the top of her head, making sure to make the loud “mwah!” sound with it. Innya growled and waved her hands, trying to get her mother away without hurting her.

“Mom!” Innya protested at the display of affection, even though they were in the house.

Her mother laughed as she let Innya go. Innya’s mother knew how to torment her and she did it on a daily basis, which was another reason why Innya was scared of her mother. Most of the time, Innya was glad to see her mother go off on missions just so she would not have to be tortured with emotions and hugs for a few days. 

There was the downside to her mother going off on missions, though. Innya missed her mother when she left and she was always overjoyed when her mother returned home. Innya could not help missing her mother when she went away because she was a Wolf. Well, that was how she tried to rationalize her feelings. Her mother had been the most important person in her life from birth. As she grew up, both of her parents became equally important and she never let that go. No Wolf did to her knowledge, so it was only logically for her to miss them when they were away.

Innya went to clean herself up, taking a cold bath in the back, and then had to get her haircut. She sat down on a chair in the kitchen. Her mother got her scissors, comb, and brush.

Her mother never cut her hair like her father did. Her father was simple. He went for short and was satisfied that the hair did not block his daughter’s vision and was hard for her opponents to grab. Her mother had to try to style her hair all of the time and she tried again that night. She cut Innya’s hair neatly and nicely and left two strands of hair long on the sides of Innya’s head to frame her face.

“Dad’s not going to like this,” Innya complained as she looked at her hair in the mirror.

“And who is he?” her mother remarked with a smile and she came up behind her. She brushed Innya’s hair with her hand. “Besides it shows off your very pretty face.” Then to irk Innya further, she kissed Innya’s cheek.

“Mom!” Innya barked while her mother laughed. She wanted to push her mother away, but she learned that such actions only made her mother come in for more annoying affectionate displays.

“Oh, was I being your loving mother again?”

“Yes. You do that a lot, you know,” Innya replied.

“I can only wonder why,” her mother commented with amusement lacing her tone.

Innya did not comprehend her mother’s sense of humor. She did not like to joke around or make smart remarks for no reason except to be funny like her mother did. Innya did not really have a sense of humor, but every now and then she got sucked into her mother’s shenanigans, which was another thing she felt was scary about her mother.

“Now, what shall we do for the rest of the night?” Her mother patted her shoulder. Innya just followed along. It would be less exhausting.

-8-8-8-8-

The next day Innya went back to the Pit. She was in better spirits thanks to her mother. She was just looking for something to consume her time and entertain her a little bit. She did not have anything better to do. She doubted she would have anything better to do until she felt the magic near the river beginning to wane. _Damn barrier spell_. She had her sword swung over her shoulder and she scoped out the Pit for warriors that she knew would play with her.

“Is this her?” a voice inquired behind Innya. 

She had a feeling she had found her fun, or it had found her. She turned around to see a huge male with a royal guard armband on. She tapped him to get his attention because she had a feeling he was coming to avenge his fallen comrade. 

“Excuse me, but are you looking for me?” she inquired with a smile.

“Are you Innya?” he inquired. His bottom fangs stuck out of his mouth, poking into his thick upper lip. He was just an all around giant, especially compared to Innya.

“That’s me,” she confirmed.

“You killed one of my men yesterday.”

“So?”

“I won’t stand for it,” he said.

“So, you’re challenging me?” she asked.

“I’m going to kill you.”

Innya’s eyebrows went up. “Really? Well, then by all means follow me.” She waved him on.

Innya walked off toward the center of the Pit. It was her favorite place to embarrass people. All of the warriors parted for her and the following Guard. The pair stood in the middle of the area.

“So, kill me,” Innya urged the Guard.

“I am the Captain of the Royal Guard. You’re just some lowly bitch warrior. I won’t have your luck disgrace the Guard.”

Innya scratched her eyebrow. “My luck? You guards really…” What was with the Royal Guard? Innya could name probably almost a hundred warriors who could take out the whole Guard alone. Why did they think they were so great? Maybe it was because they had those ugly armbands or vests that no one outside the noble class would be caught dead wearing.

“Get him, Innya!” a warrior urged her.

“Yeah, show him what you’re all about!”

Innya enjoyed it when the warriors cheered her on. She did not know why, but she guessed some part of her liked to get attention. There was nothing wrong with that.

The Captain smirked her. “You’re all about failing missions, aren’t you?”

She scowled. “I’m never going to live this down. Do you people know what that damned transcendent is even about?”

“It’s about you being a weak bitch who never should’ve been given that mission in the first place.”

“Big words from a big guy. Let’s see if you’re right.”

Innya freed her sword from the scabbard and waited for her opponent to pull his weapon. She twirled her sword in her hand while he unhooked a large battle axe from his back. He growled at her while she rolled her eyes. Her father used to use a battle axe, but Innya had accidentally broken it when she was teenager. Okay, she had purposely broken the thing because she did not like that the weapon was almost the same size as she was, but as long as her father did not know that it remained an accident. Point being, she had a lot of experience against an axe welded by a much better warrior.

“Get him!” a warrior cheered.

“Kill him!” another shouted.

Innya shrugged. She probably would kill the guy, anyway. It was not her fault. He started with her, so he needed to be punished. Plus, he threw her failure in her face. What the hell was up with people doing that? Killing that transcendent was not an easy task and they would know that if they had ever bothered to fight him when they had the chance.

The Guard attacked her and she could not believe it, but he was slow! She could have dodged him, run home for lunch, and then came back and he probably would still be in the middle of his attack. She easily avoided what he wanted to be a fatal blow. The axe cleaved the ground, split it like an earthquake hit. Dust flew up around them, but she ignored it.

Innya cut through the thick, wooden handle of the axe before he had a chance to even pull it back from his first strike. She put her sword to his throat. Even though his neck was bigger than her thigh, everyone knew she could take his head off with one flick of her wrist. He was too pathetic to even kill. She would probably feel bad if she killed him because he was visibly trembling.

“Don’t cry or anything. You get a choice, like most everybody I fight. You can apologize for being a jerk upstart and for wasting all of our time or I can kill you and move on with my life,” Innya said.

“Neither!” He slapped her sword from his flesh and tried to grab her.

“Slow,” Innya hummed as she moved out of the way and then put her sword into his side. He hissed in pain and she smirked. “You’ve got more spirit than I gave you credit for, but this was still like a cry for help. Is there someone we can call for you?” Innya removed her blade from his body and he collapsed to his knees, clutching his wound.

“Bitch!” he growled.

“Yes, yes, yes. I know I am. Are you done yet? I’d appreciate you trying to kill me again, but with a little more feeling this time,” she replied.

The Captain growled again as he climbed to his feet again, much to Innya’s sadistic delight. He charged her and was met by her foot in his abdomen. He groaned as she tried to slice him across the chest. He caught her sword, but she pulled the weapon back. She cut deeply into his palms and he screamed as his blood splashed into the dirt.

There were certain things Innya hated and screaming was one of those things. The noise just grated on her nerves for some reason. When her opponents screamed, it really turned her off on fighting them anymore. Screaming showed her that her foe was injured and more than likely no longer a challenge. She sighed. Why was it so difficult to get a good match now?

“Whenever you’re done,” she said to the bleeding captain.

He growled as he knelt down on one knee, panting like he had run the length of the forest surrounding the village. Sweat dripped from his brow, mixing with his blood. She was bored. 

She waited to see if he would do anything worth her sticking around for. He did not disappoint her. He threw dirt in her face and attempted to tackle her. He was not aware she did not need her eyes to kill any opponent in the Pit. She could pinpoint him with her ears and nose and she ran him through the chest. He fell to the ground while she wiped her eyes clear.

“Way to go, Innya!” someone cheered.

So, she killed the captain of the Royal Guard. She did not think too much of it at the time. After all, she had killed plenty of opponents before him. 

The next day, though, she found out that things were not so simple. She had failed to take into account that she had killed _the_ _Captain_ of _the_ _Royal_ _Guard_. Not to mention she had killed two members of the Royal Estate. She killed two nobles. Not her brightest move. _That damn little transcendent threw me off so much I’m suddenly the stupid one_.

So, the next day when Innya went to the Pit, no one would spar with her. She did not think too much of it at first. It happened from time to time when no one wanted to provoke her temper and end up dead. She did not want to spar with anyone, anyway. She wanted to practice on her own and get some exercise. 

Some warriors watched her work, but she noticed someone who never visited the Pit was observing her a little closer than others. He was impossible to miss, a mountain of a man if ever there was one. Both tall and wide and dressed in all the finery a Wolf could afford. His dark eyes tracked her as he stalked the sidelines like a caged animal.

She chose to ignore him until he approached her, even though he was the King. She figured he was there to confront her about the men she had killed. After all, they were his employees or pets, whatever the hell the Royal Guards were. It was not like he really needed guards, for himself or his property.

The King was the largest man Innya had ever seen in her life and she had seen plenty of men before. His height never ceased to dwarf her when she was in his presence, the rare times that such a thing occurred. Since she was the best Moon Thief in the tribe, she had met the King a few times since his precious book had been stolen by that damned transcendent and she failed to kill him or bring the book back. He obviously did not remember her, though. And why should he? She had failed at her mission. She would not have been surprised if her parents disowned her for her shortcomings.

“You have nice form,” the King said. His voice was as deep as his size would lead a person to believe.

“I know,” Innya replied without bothering to stop her exercising. His presence reminded her of her recent failure and brought back all of her anger that she had let go just a couple of days ago.

“You must be dangerous.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to kill those two royal guards if I wasn’t, now would I?” she retorted. _You probably shouldn’t say stuff like that_. It did not matter. He knew and that was why he was there. They all were aware of that.

“So, it was you who killed those two guards?”

She shrugged. “Easily. By the blood of my ancestors, I’d give my left arm for a decent battle. One that required me to give my all and no holding back.” _Why did you just say that?_ Frustration and annoyance was not a good mix. 

“No one around here can help you out in that area?” he asked almost as if he was amused. There was something a little off, though. Something that suggested she needed to pay more attention.

Innya looked at the King and stopped her practicing. She put her sword away and let the weapon rest on her shoulder without breaking eye contact with the giant monarch. She shook her head and answered, “No, no one around here can.” Then she started to walk off. She never acknowledged she was speaking to the King.

“You’ve got bite,” the King commented with a chuckle. He grabbed her before she could get away and she frowned at him. His hand covered her entire forearm.

“Yes?” she inquired. There had to be a punishment coming for killing those guards, so she might as well live dangerously.

“I think you should have dinner with me,” the King told her.

She scoffed. “For what?” While she might have gone on missions for him, she was not interested in spending any time with King. Nothing about him spoke to her in any way.

He frowned and arched an eyebrow. “Do you not know who I am?”

“Would it be my punishment for killing your fool guards? I’ll have to decline,” she replied. She snatched her limb out of his grip before storming away. She would not let him waste her time, even if he was the King.

“Highness, many men have tried for that one and no one has succeeded yet,” a male warrior told the King.

“Those men weren’t me,” the King replied. “Now, who is she?”

“That was Innya.”

The King let out a low grunt. “The Moon Thief?”

“The one and only.”

“Hmm… I hadn’t placed the hair. She looked more boyish last time I saw her. She does not belong to anyone then?” the King inquired.

“As far as I know, Highness, she still belongs to her parents.” Innya would later almost slaughter this male for giving up such vital information to the King, not that he had much choice in the matter. He could not deny his King, which was the only thing that saved him from her wrath when she found out about this conversation. When the King asked questions, people generally tried to offer answers, even if they did not know.

“Her parents?” the King echoed incredulously.

“Yes, sir. She’s their pride and joy. Their only child and it’s rumored she stays at home because of that.”

“I see. Can you tell me about her parents?” the King sounded like he was making a request, but he did not know how to request things. He made demands, no matter what because he was the King.

“Nothing much, except they’re as scary as she is, Highness.”

“So, that’s where she gets it from,” the King mused as he walked off.

Innya was more than aware that her encounter with the King was not something that would end to her liking, mostly because of his dinner “proposal” and her rejecting the “offer,” not to mention she had been blatantly rude with him. Innya did not get involved in anything that could be mistaken for a relationship. She did not even have friends. She did not see the point.

She was not interested in courting either. She did not allow men to wine and dine her. She barely allowed men to talk to her, unless they had a deadly weapon and planned to kill her. She definitely did not desire the King to take any interest in her. Out of all of the men on the planet, the King was the last one she wished to try to romance her.

When Innya got home, she tried to retreat to her room to forget what the King had said to her, but her mother would not let her, blocking Innya’s path the second she got into the house. Innya faced her mother and she could tell her mother figured out something was irking her, but lately that was nothing new, so her mother did not address her expression.

“Don’t you want to greet you father?” her mother asked.

“Dad?” Innya had been so annoyed by the King that she had not even noticed her father’s scent was all over the house at full strength, which meant he was home. She turned around and headed straight for the kitchen to greet her father. He was hunched over the table, eating jerky bits.

Innya’s father was tall and lanky with long limbs, causing his clothes to hang off of him in a weird fashion. He looked awkward when he fought thanks to his frame. Many people wondered how such an oddly shaped fellow like him could marry the woman he had. For a long time, people claimed Innya could not possibly be his cub, as she looked nothing like him. They both ignored that nonsense.

He was bald, which was new. He usually had his black haircut very short rather than completely off. It did not suit him at all and made his ears look big. His hard onyx eyes locked with his daughter’s eyes.

“Daddy,” Innya said almost curtly and she gave him a slight nod.

“Innya,” he grunted her name out. Here was the parent Innya could relate to. Her father almost never displayed emotions, which meant no hugging. Well, unless, her mother came around, anyway.

“Don’t be so stiff you two,” her mother scolded the both of them as she stepped into the kitchen. It could barely hold the three of them, but that never stopped her mother. “You two know you missed each other very much.”

Innya rolled her eyes while her father huffed. Just because they missed each other that did not mean her mother had to say it out loud. They hugged each other like one had a disease the other did not wish to catch, hoping it would satisfy her mother, which it did not. Her mother joined the hug and wrapped her arms tightly around the both of them forcing actual contact as if it was a real hug, much to their dismay. They groaned, so, of course, her mother squeezed them harder.

“This is great. My family’s whole again,” her mother with a smile. She sighed, it was a content sound, and then she let her husband and daughter go, which silently gave them permission to thankfully let each other go.

“So, Dad, how was your mission?” Innya inquired as she took a couple of steps away from her parents. In case her mother got the idea for another group hug, she could see it coming and escape, or so she hoped.

“Uneventful,” he answered.

“Aren’t they all?” her mother remarked.

He sighed and took a bite of his jerky. “I think the only way any of us will ever be entertained again on an assignment is if one of us is ordered to kill the other two.”

Her mother curled her lip and shuddered. “I wouldn’t be entertained.”

“You and Innie, both,” he said and his daughter could not believe it.

“Dad!” Innya accidentally barked. She could not believe he had actually called her by her very demeaning and most detested nickname. 

“What? There isn’t anybody around to hear me call you that,” he pointed out.

“That’s not the point. It’s so… degrading.” Innya folded her arms across her chest.

“No, it’s not. It’s a very lovely name,” her mother said.

Innya frowned. Her father almost never called her “Innie.” No, that was a torture device her mother used. It was her mother who started the “Innie” nonsense. She feared the dreaded name would haunt her until the day that she died. There was only one person outside of her parents who called her “Innie” without regretting it later on, and that was the scarred transcendent thief. 

She had tried to kill the damned transcendent once for using the nickname. She had actually stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife. They had been in the kitchen at the time and it was the nearest object. He was the first person she had ever tried to slay and she had hurt him that day, but his wound closed quickly once she removed the blade. Healing was a talent of his. He had laughed about it, not angry with her at all. _He was an idiot, even when we were cubs_.

 _And that idiot got the best of you and made you a failure_. Innya decided to let go of thoughts of her failure, memories, the transcendent, and the King. Her father was home and her mother was practically bouncing with happiness that they were all home and well. It would be best to enjoy it in her own special way of acting like she did not care.

“One would never guess that that’s the face of a deadly warrior, who has killed more people than I’ll ever know,” Innya commented under her breath about her mother, who grinned from ear to ear and seemed to be gliding around the tiny kitchen while making dinner.

Innya’s mother had once been a member of the Royal Army, which used to fight quite a bit when the humans dared to try to trespass on the Wolf Tribe’s land. Most of the time, those humans were looking to make names for themselves, but only brought their troops blood and ruin. Her mother felt that war was not enough action for her, so she became a Moon Thief. She was one of the best in the elite assassin group. She had been the best for a short period of time, until a new warrior joined. He ended up being the man she would marry and have a child with. 

It was really no surprise the couple raised Innya, the most ferocious creature most Wolves could think of. What was the surprise was that through getting married, having a cub, raising the cub, and making a home, nothing slowed the couple down and they were still as dangerous as they had been before they had Innya. Innya was proud and lucky to have them as parents, not that she would ever say that aloud.

While her mother prepared dinner, Innya arm-wrestled with her father in the living room. They were supposed to be careful when they did such things. They had a bad habit of breaking the coffee table and on a few occasions, breaking the floor, but they were never careful. They did not understand the concept really. There was one time when her father had accidentally broken three of her fingers when they arm-wrestled, but they never brought that up because her mother would start harping about how he had tried to damage their precious daughter and neither of them wanted to hear that.

When dinner was ready, Innya ate quickly because her parents deserved some time alone. She mumbled a goodnight to both of them, which she was not sure they heard because they were already focusing solely on each other. Innya went to her room before she was traumatized and actually saw her parents kissing or worse. She found such things sickening and believed she always would. 

Her parents enjoyed being married and she never wondered why, even though she did not get it. She just figured it was something for them. She did not really care. As long as they never forced her to get married, she was all right. And she did not see why they would ever do that. Her father told her a long time ago that she could only marry a man who could overpower him in a real fight. Innya did not know if such a person existed. She could barely beat him most of the time.

When Innya woke up the next morning, she decided to cook breakfast to allow her parents more time to themselves. There was a knock at the door. She checked to see if one of her parents could answer it, but she found they were not up yet and she was alone. 

She yawned as she went to the door, still dressed in her pajamas of a thin sleeveless shirt and long pants. She did not usually answer the door in the morning, which was why it did not occur to her until later that it was not very proper to answer the door in pajamas. She opened the door to find the King standing outside of her home. The shock was enough to wake her up completely. _This can’t be good_.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the reason for this visit.


	4. In the Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own these characters. Please, do not use them without my permission.

4: In the Door

“So, you do live here,” the King said, looking down at Innya as he had the nerve to be at her front door.

“What are you doing here?” Innya demanded in a hiss, wanting to be quiet to not wake up her parents. Her tail thrashed behind her, like her irritation needed the motion or it would build up.

Part of the beauty of living in the slums of the village was supposed to be that no person of any social standing would ever bother her, yet here the King was. The King, in all of his glory, stood in the middle of their dusty street, and to top the morning off, she was clothed in her sleepwear of a sleeveless shirt that did not even cover her stomach and shorts that stopped at her mid-thigh. As embarrassed as she was to be giving the King an eyeful considering the way he looked down at her, she decided it would be best to play it off and remain visibly annoyed.

“I was looking for you,” he answered with a grin.

“Well, you found me. Congratulations. Good day.” She tried to close the door, but the King halted that by placing his hand on the door and she could not shut him out, no matter how hard she tried. How bothersome.

“That’s some attitude that you have there,” he commented.

“It serves a purpose,” she replied with a snarl on her lip. She tried again to close the door, but it would not budge with his big mitt on it.

“Now, it’s safe to assume you know who I am. Yet, you still take such a harsh tone with me. I could have you killed.” It did not sound like a threat, just a fact, like the sky was blue.

Snorting, she rolled her eyes. “Please, feel free to try.” It would be fun to dispatch whatever weakling he sent her way, especially considering his chosen guard.

A deep chuckle escaped him. “You are a cocky bitch. Very confident in your abilities, even considering the fact that you failed at your last assignment.” A sly smirk slid onto his face, as if he knew that would push her anger to the limits.

Innya growled as fury swirled in her belly. How dare he throw her failure back in her face with a smile! It was a good thing she was unarmed or else they would have been battling to the death in the street right now. She was a little more rational in the morning, though, mostly because her body did not wake up completely until she had eaten something and been up for about an hour when she was at home anyway.

“Why don’t you just get out of here before you disturb my parents’ sleep,” Innya practically commanded or threatened. She was not sure which it was, but she needed him gone. “They deserve their rest.”

He tilted his head, dark, brown and black, locks falling over his massive shoulders. “So, you do still live with your parents.” He glanced over her, as if trying to inspect the house, and then looked at her again. “How old are you?” he asked, voice more curious than anything else. She was old enough at the time to think she could take on the King if it was necessary, even though she could not even close the damned door thanks to him.

“What does it even matter? What do you want?” She tried to glare him into submission, force him to leave with her eyes. It did not work. She was running out of non-violent ways to get him away from her front door.

“Let’s have dinner,” he ordered, even though it was meant to sound like a suggestion once again.

“No,” she answered bluntly. _Why the hell does he keep asking me that?_

He arched a thick eyebrow. “You are disobeying me?”

“Yes. Perhaps if I’m lucky you’ll have me killed.” Innya then remembered her breakfast. She sniffed the air some and realized it was burning. She glanced at the King and then retreated to the back of the house to the kitchen without saying a word.

“Now, that’s one fiery bitch,” she heard the King remark and she would have bet her legs he was smirking. She wanted to slap the expression off his face.

Innya’s skin crawled from the King’s dinner invite. If only she could scratch the feeling away, but no. It was there, gnawing at her bones. _What the hell does think would come of us having dinner?_ She never enjoyed her time around the King, even when it was just business. She did not want to see him in her spare time.

She was glad he was gone once her breakfast was salvaged and her parents were awake. She could not understand why he would want her to have dinner with him. Outside of the warrior class, not too many men found Innya attractive for the simple fact that she could and probably would kill them for any little stupid reason. She was also known to hit any idiot who dared tell her something asinine, like “you’d be beautiful if you smiled more.”

“Innya, why is the front door open?” her father inquired.

Innya froze. Had she not shut the front door? Did she want her parents to find out what the King was trying to do? Where was her brain? She had answered the door in her nightclothes and now she had left the front door open. She could not tell her parents the King had been by the house, as they would want to know why. She would then have to lie to them or suffer the humiliation of letting them know the King was trying to court her. Well, she could always tell them the truth and then go kill herself.

“I needed some air,” Innya lied. She really had no intention of committing suicide. If anybody was going to kill her, she wanted it to be her parents when they figured out she lied to them.

“Open a window next time,” her father suggested as he pulled the door shut. He shook his head at her.

“Yes, sir.”

Innya did not like lying to her parents. In fact, she rarely told her parents anything but the truth. But, her encounter with the King was too unsettling and she did not know what she would tell her parents if she told them the truth. She had been blatantly disrespectful to the King twice now and lived to tell about it if she chose to do so, which just was not right in itself. She should have been dead, especially after attempting to shut the door in the King’s face. _This is going to end badly_. Not that much had gone right with her since that damned transcendent stole the King’s book.

“Thank you for making breakfast, sweetie,” Innya’s mother said, which tore her from her thoughts.

“Oh, it’s no problem, Mom. Look, I’m going to head out,” Innya replied. She needed to figure out her next move, not that she even knew what was going on to make another move.

Innya ran into her room and quickly dressed in her usual dreary clothes of plain black pants and a black vest with a sleeveless shirt on underneath it. She grabbed her sword and attached it to her hip, most unusual for her, unless she had an assignment. She hoped her parents would not be suspicious as she dashed out of the house as fast as she could.

“She was in a rush,” her father said.

“More so than usual. But, she’s probably just giving us some time alone,” her mother replied.

“Probably. Let’s make do with little gifts.”

Innya went to the Pit. A fight might help her forget the King or at least get enough blood to her brain to think of a way out of this mess. She beckoned for any and every person she saw to attack her. The more, the merrier. 

Not many took her up on her offer, but those who did proved to be a very good distraction for her. They were the better warriors around the Pit and they craved improvement. They were fellow Moon Thieves and Innya would not slay them. She would give them a damn good workout, though. It was her version of training for her colleagues. 

Even while battling hard, Innya could feel the King’s dark amber eyes stalking her. He practically stared a hole in the back of her head. _What does he want from me?_ She was just an assassin and she had failed at her last assignment, as he had so kindly pointed out during his unwanted visit. Yes, she killed two guards, but he did not seem to care about that.

After a thorough workout, which she had to thank the warriors for, she did some practicing alone since she noticed the King had finally left the area. Later she would find out that she would have rather that he stayed observing her instead of leaving to go talk with her parents. To her, that was just uncalled for and really low. How dare he go behind her back and speak with the two people she was obligated and pretty much programmed to obey!

“Good day,” the King greeted Innya’s parents as if he was a gentleman.

“Highness,” Innya’s mother gasped at the sight of their leader at the front door. It was quite a surprise; Innya knew that much from first hand experience with the dolt.

The King took another look around the house. “Might I be allowed to come in?”

“Of course! Please, do. We’re honored to have you here.” She waved him in.

The King stepped inside the house to see that it was as tiny as it appeared from the doorway, which he had nearly wrecked to get through. It was a bit amazing the place could hold three tall adults. The King saw Innya’s father standing in the kitchen with a shocked expression on his face and a cup of tea in his hand. Steam bellowed off of the cup into his open mouth.

“Highness,” her father stammered, not used to sharing space with the King. He had no clue as to why the King might be at his house and it was rather nerve-wracking to have that kind of mystery hanging in the air.

“Could I get you anything, Sire?” Innya’s mother asked the King, calm in the face of danger as always.

“Your daughter,” he casually answered, which caused the couple to both make bewildered faces. Her father’s mug hit the floor. He did not even flinch as the hot tea splashed his bare feet.

Her mother’s enchanting green eyes blinked in an owlish manner. “Our daughter, Sire?” she echoed in a tone that did her confusion justice.

“Yes, Innya. She’s your daughter, correct?”

“That she is, Highness. Has she done something to displease you?” her mother asked. She knew Innya had a way of making people angry with a simple look, so it was quite possible Innya had managed to upset the King easily.

“Yes,” the King answered.

“Oh, dear,” her mother sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.

“Whatever it is she’s done we’ll take full responsibility for it. She’s our daughter, after all,” her father said, squaring his shoulders.

“She refused to have dinner with me,” he informed them, which only perplexed the couple more.

“Excuse me?” Innya’s mother asked and her face twisted. She was getting old, so she figured her hearing was starting to fail her. She had to have heard him wrong. There was no way the King was interested in their daughter. He chased a different sort of female. They were nobles, dainty, delicate, and fashionable. Innya was none of those things. 

“She refused to have dinner with me,” the King repeated, so that Innya’s mother could be certain she was not losing her mind or her hearing. It did not make any more sense the second time, though.

“Sire, she meant no disrespect—” Innya’s father tried to explain, but the King halted him with a wave of his massive hand.

“I can understand she’s dedicated to her work and to you two. She doesn’t have much of a social life and that’s why she didn’t accept. I can understand that. Your daughter does intrigue me quite a bit,” the King said. 

Her parents did not like the sound of that. They glanced at each other, hoping one of them had an answer. They had nothing. 

“Sire?” her mother managed to ask as she and her husband tried to figure out where the King was going with his statements. He could not believe it was going where it seemed like it was going.

“I was wondering if you’d turn her over to me,” the King replied, as if it was such a simple matter. 

“Sire?” Both of Innya’s parents gulped. She was their daughter; their only child. They had no desire to let her go for anything, for anyone, but then again they never planned on the King coming to take their precious cub from them. How could they deny their King? Well, that was easy, but how could they deny their King and live?

“I’m aware she still belongs to you. You just never let her go,” the King commented, almost boasted, like he knew he had them. 

Innya did belong to her parents by the laws of the Wolf Tribe. Parents owned their cubs until they believed that the cub was safe on its own. Now, of course, Innya was safe on her own, but she had no plans of leaving her home and so, her parents never officially turned her loose. That technicality would be her undoing.

“She likes it here,” Innya’s mother found herself arguing.

“I’m sure she does, but she’ll like the royal estate more,” the King replied, as if he knew what Innya would like. He did not even know her!

“Sire—”

“She will, of course, be well taken care of. You’ll also be well taken care of since you are her parents, even though I’m sure as Moon Thieves you could do much better than this if you wanted to.” He glanced around the house, judging it.

Innya’s father had to speak up because he knew what type of man the King was when it came to females. “My only daughter and legacy to this world won’t be a man’s toy, even if he is our King,” he said with his chest out. “I won’t let you ruin her.”

The King laughed a bit. “You misunderstand me. My intentions are quite honorable.” Innya always knew the King had a funny definition of honor, but this cemented it.

“Sire?” Her poor mother was confused. She was sure her hearing was failing her now because he could not be implying what it sounded like he was implying.

“I’d be very pleased if I could marry your daughter,” the King said.

Innya’s mother was now certain she was not hearing anything correctly at all while her husband simply fainted at the King’s announcement. He broke a chair on his way down. She stared down in disbelief at the murderous warrior that was her husband, who had passed out because the King had come to take their cub away. She was left to deal with the King on her own. It was unreal. It was like a bad dream. Well, it was the start of a bad dream.

“Sire, I don’t think Innya would like us giving her away, even to you,” her mother said, ignoring a pain in her chest. That would be the drawback to belonging to anyone. Innya could be given away like any other object and it was perfectly legal.

“You’re missing the point. I would like you to give her to me,” the King replied and to emphasize his point, he pointed to himself as if her mother could miss the large mass of flesh that he was.

“Sire,” her mother sighed. She knew her daughter would not want any part of his desire. Her cub liked living at home and still belonging to her parents. Innya was very content with her existence and had no wish to change it.

“Will you deny me?” he inquired in a slightly vexed tone. He probably thought that Innya got her attitude from her mother for a moment.

Her mother took a deep breath and looked the King dead in the eye. “You can’t make her happy.”

“She will be happy,” he insisted, as if he would force her to be happy.

She shook her head. “She won’t. Please, don’t do this, Sire.”

“You’ll give her to me or no one else can have her.”

“Sire?” Innya’s mother did not understand the threat, or at least, she did not want to understand the threat.

“Your daughter has disrespected me twice already. I’ll take your refusal of this offer as the last straw and punish her for it. Her punishment will be death and yours will be to watch me kill your only cub with my own hands,” he explained.

“Sire,” her mother actually whimpered because she knew that not only could he do it, but he would do it. He would kill her baby, her only cub, and force her to watch the slaughter. He would leave her to live with the memories of seeing her treasured “Innie” butchered by the King.

“She’ll die slowly and painfully. I’ll make her cry out for you.” Again, it was a promise and she knew it.

“All right, Sire. You can…” she choked on the words. “You can have Innya. She’s now yours, but you must promise to take good care of her.”

The King smirked. “Of course I will. After all, she belongs to me and no man would allow his property to be damaged in any way.”

Innya’s mother hated to hear her daughter referred to as “property.” She was a treasure to her parents and the King used it against them. The tactic was disgusting and Innya almost wished she did not know she was her parents’ weakness.

Innya returned home as the King was leaving the house. She ignored him and he did not say anything to her, but he gave her an odd look. She could hear her mother crying long before she saw the strange source of the noise. Innya rushed to the weeping lump by the sofa that was her mother. Her heart was in her throat. Her mother never cried, as crying was a weakness. What could possibly be so wrong that made her mother cry? Nothing was ever supposed to be so wrong that it would reduce her deadly and scary mother to tears.

“Mom! Mom! What happened?” Innya demanded. At the time, she thought if that jerk they called a king had managed to hurt her mother, she was going to kill him.

Her mother only looked at her with sorrowful green eyes and grabbed her into a tight hug. Innya shivered at the desperate feeling in the contact and she could feel the terrible sorrow that was destroying her warrior mother. Innya did not know what to do and she felt a little lost.

“Mom, does this have something to do with the King?” Innya asked and if it did, boy, she was going to kill him.

“Damn him!” her mother shouted through her tears.

“Mom?” Innya was not used to hearing her mother use such language. 

“Damn him for all eternity.” Her mother snarled.

“Mom, what happened?”

Her mother wiped her face and dried her tears. “If the power was in me, I’d destroy him ever so slowly.”

“What did he do?” Innya asked, mentally plotting the fastest way to the palace. She just knew at the time that she was going to have to kill him. She was naïve then.

“He took the only thing that has real meaning to us,” her mother answered.

“What? What did he take? I’ll go get it back,” Innya declared. She needed to do something to fix things for her mother.

Innya’s mother chuckled a little bit and pulled Innya closer to her. She caressed Innya’s cheek and sighed. “Foolish cub, you can’t get it back. You see, he took you, Innie.”

“Me?” Innya did not understand, but she knew right away she did not like it. She did not like it so much that it did not register to her brain that her mother had hugged her, touched her in a loving manner, and called her by her very much hated pet name. It did not occur to her to be annoyed.

“He took you. He came here and demanded to have you.”

Innya finally caught on to what her mother meant. “And you just gave me to him!” She reeled back and glared at her mother.

“I had little choice in the matter. It was either that or watch him kill you,” her mother informed the very angry Innya.

“I would’ve died honorably!” Innya screamed with a fire in her belly.

“I could not, as your mother, watch you die as he planned!” her mother yelled right back. Her mother never yelled and that should have clued her in on the delicacy of the matter, but Innya was too angry to reason anything out at the moment.

“I could destroy him!” Innya pounded her fist against her chest. She could destroy anything. She was the greatest Moon Thief of their time. The best assassin in the village. There was no one she could not kill! _Really? That little transcendent is still wondering around breathing_.

“Foolish cub, it’s not that simple. You don’t know the King!” Her mother paced the room, her greying tail thrashing behind her. “You’d die by his hands and all I’d be able to do was watch! You don’t know what it means to have a cub!” Innya’s mother growled while Innya remained on the floor.

“I could kill him,” Innya proclaimed with determination. She believed she could kill anyone. But, there was a small hole in her chest. Her mother did not think she could do it. There had to be some reason for that. _No! They trained you. The greatest warriors made the greatest warrior_. She could take the King.

Her mother glared at her and pointed at her. “No, you couldn’t, so stop saying that!” 

“How could you just give me to him?” Innya’s voice cracked as that hole inside of her shattered open wider. She felt betrayed by her own mother. Her parents were supposed to protect her, but this cut so deep. The wound might never heal.

“Because the indestructible one fainted!” Her mother pointed down to her unconscious spouse. Her mother sounded like she was on the verge of tears once more, using her silver hair to hide her face.

“What the hell happened to Daddy?” Innya asked as she stared at her fallen father. He was pale, like a corpse. 

“For someone that’s so unshakable, he sure does faint awfully easy! He’s horrible in a time of crisis. The man passed out when the King announced he wanted to marry you!” her mother answered, snarling down at him.

Innya blinked and shook her head. Things were not making sense. “Marry me? But—but Dad said I couldn’t get married!” And Dad was also unconscious on the floor. What was going on?

Her mother snorted and turned away, still pacing. “Yeah, well, he wasn’t objecting a whole lot when the King mentioned it.”

Innya scrubbed her face with both hands, as if she could wipe away this nightmare. “I can’t marry the King! I’m a Moon Thief, not a—a—a whatever! Mommy, do something! Please!” Her parents were supposed to protect her! 

Her mother sighed and ran a frustrated hand through her gray locks. “Baby, there isn’t anything I can do, unless you wish to die and all me and your father would be able to do was witness the act.”

“Mommy!” Innya did not know what else to say. She was a little upset with herself for saying “mommy” as if she was an injured cub, but that was what she felt like. It hurt and her parents—her _mom_ —was supposed to make it better! That was what a mom did.

In truth, Innya knew if her parents were forced to watch her die, watch her be slaughtered like some barnyard animal, they would commit suicide afterwards. She would do the same thing if the roles were reversed. The agony, even in death, would be unbearable to know she was responsible for her parents’ death. She was so certain she could defeat the King, though. After all, she was Innya. But, her mother was skeptical, so that put doubt in her heart.

“I’m so sorry, baby.” Her mother’s hand went to her face, probably wiping away tears, but it was impossible to see with her hair in the way.

Innya shook her head. “Don’t apologize, Mommy.” There was nothing they could do.

“There just wasn’t really a right decision to be made here,” her mother said as she went back to Innya. She embraced her livid and frightened cub, trying to comfort her. She also reached for Innya’s sword and removed the weapon from the sheath. She put the sword in Innya’s hand.

“Mommy, what are you doing?” Innya asked when she noticed her mother had given her the sword.

Her mother kissed the side of her head. “You can kill me, Innya, for making this choice if you like.”

“No, Mommy! Don’t be crazy!” Innya tossed her blade away as if it had burned her hand to hold it. She would never!

Her mother hugged her so tight. “Innya, I’ll always choose life over death for you.”

“I know, Mom. I could… I could kill him,” Innya said once again, but in a tone that was below a whisper. She wanted to weep.

“No, baby, don’t be foolish. I’ve already made enough bad decisions for us today.”

“So, I have to marry him?” Innya asked. She caught a whimper that was trying to escape her throat.

Her mother sniffled and stroked her hair. “I’m afraid so.”

Innya screamed at the top of her lungs and pushed out of her mother’s comforting hold. She bolted out of the house and just ran. She continued running until she was out of the village. She ran for hours without stopping until she stumbled over a large tree root. She skidded on her face in the dirt and screamed again, inhaling dirt. Then a hand seemed to appear out of nowhere to offer her help to her feet. She looked up and there stood the man that haunted her dreams, the yellow eyes she would never forget, the damned scarred transcendent.

“You!” Innya roared, fury bursting so powerfully under her skin it was a miracle she did not outright explode.

“Hello, Innya.” He smiled down at her with a warm look in his eyes. He still had his hand out to help her up.

“I don’t need your damn help, little transcendent!” Innya climbed to her feet on her own and reached for her sword only to grab air. She had forgotten to grab her weapon during her impulsive, heated flight. _Damn it!_

“You never did,” he replied.

“Then why do you always offer? I should just kill you right here.” She could tear him apart with her bare hands, present his head to the damned King, and maybe the King would leave her alone.

He tilted his head. “Why don’t you?” 

“You deserve a proper slaying and I don’t have my sword at the moment,” she answered with a scowl. He did, but he also deserved to be ripped limb from limb in the messiest way possible. This was all his fault!

“Would you like to borrow one of mine?” He motioned to the two swords hanging from his belts.

She howled to the heavens, so sick of him. “Stop being so damn helpful! You’re always like this, ever since we were cubs! It’s so annoying. I want to kill you!”

He shrugged, like it was no big deal. “It’s not the first time.”

“And each time you deserve it. Why the hell are you always so damn nice?” She made two fists.

A small smile was on his face, but his golden eyes were wet, like he could see right to her pain. “I just don’t like seeing you so flustered.”

She sucked her teeth. “Then why do you always piss me off? Ever since we were cubs, you’ve been like this.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I dunno. It’s not hard to piss you off.”

Glancing away, she sighed. “No, I guess it isn’t.” She studied him. “Are you leaving?” she asked when she realized he was far from the human villages where he always spent his time.

“I’m afraid so.” He looked in the direction she had been heading and he had come from.

“I see. Don’t worry, when you get back I’ll get through all of your barrier spells and destroy you.”

A carefree grin spread across his face. “I’m really looking forward to that. It shows me how strong you are. Do me a favor, though.”

“What?”

“Leave your problems behind when you do. You’re stronger than anybody I’ve ever met, but all of sudden, I can see you’re struggling. My friend Innie never had problems, never struggled. She always overcame, most of the time through sheer force of will. She never ran, unless of course she was going to get a weapon, but she came right back.”

She sucked her teeth. “Life was easier back then. It’s funny though, I get the feeling that I’m not the only one running from a problem, transcendent.” He was different now, awkward in an uncomfortable way.

He laughed, as he tended to do, even if it was not funny. He even laughed when she declared she would kill him, several times. He looked over his shoulder again in the direction he came from. He turned back to her and smiled. There was something different in that smile than in his usual goofy expressions. There was trouble, pain.

He scratched his forehead. “Well, life was easier back then. Some problems are just too hard to face, especially when I can’t figure out what I should do.”

She nodded. “Some problems, I guess, there’s nothing you can do. Some just come without solutions, huh?”

“And we just never know what to do. Life used to be so simple,” he said with a sigh.

“Somebody really smart once told me that nothing in life is simple, except one’s perception of it.” Of course, when they were younger, when they were cubs and life was new, their perception could only be simple. 

He laughed. “And here it is my father thought we weren’t listening to him.”

Her shoulders dropped. “So, I guess I’ll have to turn around.”

He blew out a breath. “And I’ll have to do the same… one day. You were always stronger than me, Innya. I don’t know what could cause you to run away. It scares me so badly that I have to pray for you.”

“I don’t need your damn prayers!” Innya huffed, tempted to punch him in the head just for saying such a thing.

“I know you don’t. It’s more for my own peace of mind. Bye for now, Innya.” The transcendent continued on his way and Innya sighed.

“Bye for now, Taeyrin,” she replied.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: a wedding and the wedding night.


	5. Force

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PSA: a sexual assault takes place in this chapter. It’s not detailed really, but it’s there and the reaction to it is a little unorthodox. If that’s not something you want to read about, skip the wedding night scene.

5: Force

Innya had to get herself together before she headed back to the village. She silently cursed herself for forgetting her sword, but she was pleased she had also. She would have fought the transcendent if she had remembered her weapon, she would have murdered him with that weapon, and then she would have continued running with no destination in mind. Instead, he was still alive and she was going home. 

Running away would not have helped matters, anyway. Her parents would have had to take the blame for her leaving. Who knew what the King might have done to them for such a thing. She had no right to run that risk.

When Innya got home, she saw her parents sitting on the sofa. They were waiting for her to come back no doubt. They did not say anything and neither did she. She approached her parents and kneeled before them, submitting to their decision. Her mother took Innya’s head into her lap and cradled her as an apology for everything. _It’s ironic that the very woman who taught me to never apologize has apologized twice to me in one day_.

“It’s all right,” Innya said. It was not. It would never be, but it also was. She understood why they did what they did and she had to assume they understood why she did what she did.

Innya never explained to her parents why she had returned home. Her parents were like the rest of the Wolf tribe, including herself, sworn enemies of all transcendents. It had not always been so, but it was the law now. If they knew she had run into the transcendent and he was the one who convinced her to go back, she did not know how they would react, but she suspected they would disown her… not that they actually owned her at all anymore.

Innya now belonged to the King. Never in her life had she planned on belonging to any male, even if he was the King. She never had those feelings for any male, for anyone. She did not see the point.

If by some weird chance, she ever had to get married, she had wanted it to at least be a marriage of equal status, like her parents. Her mother did not belong to her father and her father did not belong to her mother. But, she belonged to the King. Well, she was not going to make ownership easy on him. After all, she was ill-gotten goods.

She got to spend a day with her parents, most of it in silence while staring at the floor, before Royal Guards showed up to escort her to the palace. She and her parents stood at the same time. They looked at each other before her mother let loose an agonizing sob.

“Innya!” Her mother grabbed her into a tight hug. Her father fell in without having to be told and they just held each other.

“We have to go. The King expects us at a certain time,” one of the Guards said, but he wisely kept tone respectful and kept his hands to himself. He must have known about her or her parents, which was more than she could say about the other five with him.

Their family took a breath together before stepping apart. Her mother was a mess, fat tears pouring down her face. Her father looked stricken, deep lines under his eyes. She doubted she appeared any better.

“No matter what happens, we’re still a family. You’re still our daughter,” her father said.

Innya nodded. “You’ve always been the best parents anyone could ask for. I know you’ll continue to be.”

Her mother sniffled loudly and nodded. Her father clapped her on the shoulder and then she turned to the Royal Guards. She walked out, right past the Guards. She ignored them as they talked about her neighbors, who were all out in the street, wanting to know what was going on. But, then one insulted her neighborhood. She grabbed him by the throat, her claws in digging into his flesh.

“This place has more honor and charm than that dirt mound of a hill the nobles live on,” she growled before she ripped his throat out. He fell to the ground and several blades were pointed at her. “Let’s be serious, I could kill all of you before you even realize it.” It was not a lie.

“Innya,” her mother said from the front steps.

Innya curled her lip. She needed to stop. While the King might not harm her, he could hurt her parents or their neighbors. She had to stop being a brat. What was done was done. Innya sighed and held up her hands in surrender. 

“Let’s go,” she said to the Guards. They hustled to a palanquin with the Royal Insignia of two, silver tails on a golden patch painted on the polished wooden door. The litter probably cost more money than the neighborhood had seen in its entire existence. 

Innya stepped inside, seated on the softest cushion she ever felt, but it might as well be a million knives. A black curtain blocked her view of the world and the world’s view of her. The ride seemed to take forever, but no time at all as well. The moment they made it to the Hill, she could smell the change in the air without having to look outside. She could hear the running water they had to pass over, a small river that separated the Hill from the rest of the village. It went around the Hill like a moat.

They had more grass, cleaner streets, and everything was more organized. If the village was seen as a state, it was clear the Hill was the capital. Two story villas of glinting white stone hidden behind smooth walls. The roads were paved and sloped so water washed away. And small waterways cut through the wide streets, taking garbage away, to be cleaned when it got down to the river.

She could hear people mulling about outside. Sweeping the streets, pushing carts, and running by. Birds sang, like it was a happy day, but there were no livestock sounds like in the main village. The market smelled of perfumes and spices, an odd mix that tickled her nose. They passed through a row of restaurants where she could smell the cooking meat and sweet wines. 

And then sounds fell away. They were entering the palace. Whenever she passed through the palace arches, it always struck her as strange that it was so silent. The palace was not a place she would like to live out her days, even though she had never seen the full sight. But, the white walls decorated with glinting gems never interested her.

She did not get to see too much of anything as always, delivered directly to a room in the palace. It was a basic room, bed, table, a few chairs, trunks for clothing. She assumed it was where she would stay until the wedding. Food was brought to her, but she refused to eat. None of the servants talked to her, which was fine by her. She did not want to engage them. They tried to bathe her, but a well-placed growl got them to leave and she had the hot water to herself. 

The room did not have any windows, so she could not see the village or a means of escape. There were Guards at the door. All that was left to her was to slip into a nightshirt and get some sleep. She could think of something tomorrow.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya married the King the next day. He was not into the long engagement, apparently. Of course, the marriage was for show. She was his, regardless. The nobles of the Wolf Tribe were there to bear witness to the King showing off his newest possession. She wanted to tear them apart as much as she wanted to tear into him.

They stood in one of the palace’s many gardens with dozens of nobles around. There were so many colorful flowers and lush bushes along with a few trees, but it was harder to appreciate how vivid the garden could be in the middle of the night, which was always the ideal time for Wolf celebrations. It was a moonless night to further irritate Innya.

Innya never liked a moonless sky and it had nothing to do with her being a Moon Thief and drawing power from the moon. A moonless sky seemed very empty to her, as if the sky lacked a soul and it made her uneasy ever since she was a little cub. In ancient tales, it was considered a bad omen. So, apparently, the universe agreed with her on this marriage.

Her wedding was the first one she had ever been to and she realized a Wolf wedding ceremony was not much of anything, or the King did not want this to be much of anything. He was the one who joined them, rather than getting an elder to perform whatever ritual went with a marriage. She had not even dressed up for it, wearing her usual outfit, pants, a sleeveless shirt, and a vest, after badly injuring a number of servants who tried to approach her with a wedding dress. She wished she had her sword, but the King himself had confiscated her weapon. It was easier to make her sign the acknowledgment of their union, or his ownership of her, if she could not fight him over it. It was kind of pathetic and this was a royal wedding.

Taeyrin told her about human weddings and they seemed grand with music, dancing, cheering. That sounded like something Wolves would do as well, but not for this. This wedding barely fell into the ceremony category. It was barely even a celebration, especially when it was not a marriage of equals. Hell, she felt like mourning herself. 

Innya’s parents were in attendance for what was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but the long looks on their faces told her they mourned as much as she did. Innya was angry the King had robbed her parents of the happiness they were supposed to experience when their little girl got married. The King had made her parents ashamed of themselves, so much so that they could not even look at her during the ceremony, which made her ashamed of herself.

Innya felt so weak. If only she had killed that transcendent and retrieved the King’s book as she had been ordered. Then, life would have gone on as always. Instead she had failed, got ridiculed because of her failure, killed those that made fun of her, thus gaining the attention of the King and screwing herself royally. He had never cared about her the hundreds of times she had been successful. One slip up and she ended up living a nightmare. It was a nightmare that had only just begun and was definitely going to get way worse before it ever got better.

As soon as they were done signing the papers and the King declared them bound, he waved over some servants. “Take her to my room.” He then turned his attention to their small audience, nobles who had come to give the King their blessings. “You may all leave now.”

Servants began ushering everyone out, including her parents while moving Innya toward the inside of the palace. In the shuffle, she did not get to bid her parents farewell. She heard her mother sobbing as she left and the sound gutted her. She wanted to assure her mother she would be fine, but that would have been a lie anyway. Still, Innya twisted and tried to make it to her parents. The King stepped into her path. 

“Follow her. I’ll be there in a moment,” the King said to Innya as he motioned to a servant.

Innya glanced at the girl, who bowed to her, and decided not to make the girl’s life difficult. This was not her fault, after all. The servant led Innya to the King’s master bedroom and she knew what was expected to happen next. Well, she would be damned if she was going to go through with that! She had enough being forced to marry the King; she was definitely not going to sleep with him. 

She searched for a means of escape and spotted a window at the end of the massive room. She bolted over to the window and saw that it was only a two-story drop to a stone walkway. She could not believe something was about to go her way as she stuck her leg out the window ready to jump, just when the King entered the room.

“Oh, hell,” Innya muttered.

“Where do you think you are going?” he inquired almost as if he was amused by what he was seeing.

“For a walk. I’ll be back like never,” she replied and she was about to jump, but he managed to grab her by the shirt. He was fast for a guy his size. He flung her onto the bed, which was the last place she wanted to be.

-8-8-8-8-

Etayay stopped Innya right there. “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” She held up her hands.

“What now?” Innya asked, shaking her head.

“You certainly cannot tell her that part of the tale. I didn’t even want to know that part,” Etayay replied.

“She’s grown!” Innya pointed to Eryna, whose face was scrunched up. She had no idea where the story was going. She was so sheltered.

“No, you can’t tell her that part,” Etayay insisted and then she sucked her teeth as she turned her attention to the front of the garden where the entrance was.

Innya smirked. “Go get my grandson.” It was nice to see the bond Etayay had with Chinto and she could sense his emotions. It helped Etayay be a great mother. The boy had good timing.

Etayay held up her finger. “Do not tell her that part.” She exited to the garden to go check on her son.

“What doesn’t she want you to tell me?” Eryna asked.

“Well, let me tell you,” Innya answered with a smirk. Oh, how she liked to bother Eryna.

-8-8-8-8-

The King growled as Innya bounced slightly on the huge mattress of the bed. She rolled off as he came over. She stood up and got into a fighting stance. _What a fucking time to be without my sword!_ The King chuckled.

“So, you want to put up a fight?” he asked in an amused tone.

“I’ll kill you,” she replied. She would. No man had ever touched her and she was not going to let him break that trend, whether she had a sword or not. She was just as deadly without a weapon as she was with one, after all.

“Feel free to try.” He waved her on with a teasing smile.

Innya eyed him, trying to size him up. She could not find a weakness. He was just a big mountain. Well, she could go through a damned mountain. 

She charged him with reckless abandon, just craving to tear into him so badly. She threw a punch at his stomach, but he moved. He was fast, not just for his size, but in general. He grabbed her wrist and tossed her back to the bed. She snarled as he stepped closer. She rolled off of the bed and got back into her fighting stance.

He smirked at her. “Here’s what you wanted, Innya. Don’t hold back. Give this fight your all and it won’t even cost you your left arm. I just hope you have energy left.”

“Bastard,” she spat. How dare he throw her words back at her like that! 

Innya charged him again only to end up on the bed a third time. Fury boiled in every inch of her. How was he so strong? So fast? So infuriating! 

He stepped closer to her yet again and she growled even more menacing than the last time. He was not afraid of her like most people. He was not easily downed like most people either. It would be a better idea to just escape. She could kill him later on when she got her sword back, they had a bit more space, and she was nowhere near his bed. She tried to jump over the King, but he grabbed her and threw her back onto the bed. He chuckled again and there was an amused light in his eyes.

“That’s it! I’m done playing around,” Innya said and she charged him again, but she seemed to vanish as soon as she got to him. She was fast, too.

The King laughed and grabbed her as she was prepared to step out of the room through the front door. She never knew how he saw her in time to catch her and throw her back to the bed. He pressed her into the mattress with his giant hand.

“You’re good, but you must understand I am the king,” he pointed out.

“I could crush you!” she screamed. She could crush everyone! She was Innya. The greatest assassin in the village!

“Not on a night with no moon.”

“I don’t need the power of the moon!”

“Then try to get up,” he dared her.

She snapped at him as she attempted to get off of the bed. She could not even move. She had never experienced such a force as the King of the Wolf tribe. She had never faced such an opponent. It was like he leagues above her.

She now understood her mother had not betrayed her. The King could kill her if he so desired, just as he promised her mother. She would not be able to stop him if he decided to murder her right now. He was such a challenge. Suddenly, her blood burned in a different way. What a rush!

It had been so long since there was a true obstacle in her path beyond that damned transcendent. She had gotten complacent. She never had to dig deep anymore. Now, she had to reach within herself and see what she was made of. _Come on! You can do this!_

“So?” the King grinned at her, urging her to continue her struggle as if seeing how pitiful she was compared to him was a turn on.

Innya grabbed his hand and began to give it her all. Gritting her teeth, she stared him in the eye and she could spot the moment he realized the energy changed, a light in his eyes went out. She forced him back and he gasped. He growled and snatched both of her hands into his own. He held her off of the ground and ripped her vest off. Well, apparently, the foreplay was over. 

“Let me go!” Innya kicked him, but it did not seem to bother him. It was hard to get a good angle with the way he had her, so she could not hit him full force.

The King pinned Innya to the bed with her back to him. She was not ready to give up yet. She swung her body upward to get a better kick in. He grunted and then held her hands tighter. She snarled and kicked him again. 

“Do it again, so I can shatter both your hands and you never hold your sword again,” he said.

“To hell with you!” She spat at him and hit him right in the eye.

He crushed her hands, not enough to break them but close. “Behave.”

She tried to kick him once again, but he swung her without letting her go before she could hit him. He waved her around like a doll and clutched her hands to the point that she had to scream in pain. He laughed and twirled her more, until she was dizzy. He never once lost his grip on her hands. He had a good hold on her. She hated being short! He slammed her into the bed.

“I won’t let you do this,” she said, even as the room continued to spin for her. She would not be able to stand up if he let her go.

He leaned down to her level, right next to her ear. “You don’t have much of a choice, Innya. Sit back and enjoy it,” he commanded her in a whispered tone.

Enjoy it? She would enjoy ripping his throat out, and his tongue she added as she felt him run the muscle along her ear. If she ever got the chance, she would castrate him with her own claws!

She could not stop him as he explored her body with his hands and his tongue, always making sure to keep a tight grip on her with one hand. She was powerless against him, and she hated it, but there was something else. Like if the King was not a complete and total horse’s ass, she might have actually enjoyed being helpless against him. And that pissed her off more. _What the hell is wrong with me? I’d never like anything this pig does!_

She fought him until she was exhausted, but he did not seem to notice. He easily adjusted her however he wanted her without letting go of her hands. He mounted her from behind and she froze. She just laid there as he tore her body asunder, taking bits of her soul with each movement of his damned hips. She hated herself for being submissive to a man who took the last innocence she had while pushing her face into the mattress of the bed to muffle her cries as he grunted in her ear.

-8-8-8-8-

“You told her, didn’t you?” Etayay said as she made her way back into the garden and found her poor sheltered sister with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open. 

Innya nodded and smirked. “How could I resist?” _That was cruel. The younger you never would’ve done that_. The odd thing was, she found the more people she told about it, the easier it was to bear. _But, you still shouldn’t have done that_.

“By the stars, you’ve scarred her for life,” Etayay said. Etayay sat down next to Eryna and tried to comfort her, rubbing her head and resting the girl against her shoulder. Eryna did not even move.

Innya scoffed. “Oh, I didn’t even go into detail as I did with you and you’re not scarred for life.”

Etayay’s face, always the stone, twitched just a little. “You must’ve told her enough obviously. She and I are two different people.”

Innya waved the matter off. “Yes, she’s the more nervous one. I merely told her had the King been a different person, I would’ve enjoyed being raped.” It was not something she would ever understand. When she told Etayay, her ever-rational daughter-in-law reasoned it was her way of coping with her new life. Etayay knew trauma and abuse well enough that she was probably right. It was still disturbing.

“Enough.” Etayay stopped her right there. “I should’ve known you’d do this. Only you could tear my sister’s mind apart in such a short amount of time.” She kissed the side of Eryna’s head.

Innya sighed. Etayay was possibly the only person beyond Etayay’s damn father to make her feel like an ass. “Fine, I won’t tell her anymore about my sex life, as if there’s more to tell.” Honestly, her sex life consisted of too many rapes by the King and a lack of desire to do this act even without force being involved.

“You’re better than this,” Etayay said. She pulled Eryna close and gently rocked her out of her dazzled state for Innya to continue on.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya had never been sorer in her life than the morning after her night with the King. She was shocked she had not been seriously injured in that rut. Although, there had been too many moments she was certain he split her in half.

She got up despite her body begging for rest. Her husband was gone, which proved there was a divine being of some kind with some mercy. She wrapped the sheet around her body and searched for her clothes. She found her vest first and saw that it was impossible to wear ever again. She growled and tossed the vest violently to the floor. She did not even bother to locate her pants because she remembered that he pulled those from her with more force than the vest.

“Damn it,” Innya said.

She did not know what she was going to do about clothes. She was now officially pissed off and somebody was going to have to suffer her wrath. She grabbed the first servant that she came across and threatened to rip her ribcage out if he did not get her some clothes, quickly. She complied rapidly, which was good because if she had not, she would have slain the servant with her bare hands. Once she was dressed, in royal silks of all things, she decided she was going to get out of the royal estate and nobody was going to stop her… except the King.

“Going somewhere?” the King inquired as Innya came to the front gates. He just had to be there because she did not have any type of good luck.

“Home,” she answered. She was not going to be humiliated anymore. She was going home, back to her parents, back to her life.

“You are home.”

“No!” She roared and glared at him. “I’m going to my home and back to my parents!” 

“You belong to me, Innya.”

“No, I don’t! I don’t belong to anybody, least of all you! I’m taking control of my life right now!” She hit herself in the chest. She would not have a repeat of last night.

He tilted his chin as a grin spread across his face. “So, we have to go through this again?” It was like the idea of fighting her was amusing. “Can I have your left arm this time? No, I really don’t require it as I do own the whole package, right?”

“I don’t belong to you!”

He gave her a wicked smirk. “It didn’t appear that way last night.”

Innya’s upper lip curled as she planned on tearing his throat out with her bare teeth. She put her fists up, ready to rumble, even if she was not quite dressed for it. The shirt she wore was short sleeved, but her pants were a little too long. She needed to be careful to avoid tripping. 

She attacked him with a vicious kick to the face that caused his head to snap to the side. She should have a better chance now, having seen him work last night. She would take him down a peg now.

“You’re so dangerous,” the King commented as he righted himself.

“Tip of the iceberg,” she replied as she got back into a fighting stance. She was going to scrap until she did not have anything left. It would be better to die of exhaustion at the gate than to suffer him one more night.

He just smiled that damn smile. “You’ve got to be kidding. You’re just too much.”

Innya continued on hitting him, even though she did not seem to be hurting him. If she did not kill him, then he would have to kill her to get her to stop. Both of those situations sat well with her. _Really? What about the third option?_ A thrill went down her spine and she paused, almost ready to vomit. _Are you sick?_ She sort of liked being overpowered. A loss was much more exciting than a swift win. Too bad it came with the penalty she went through the night before. She would rather go home than be overpowered every night. _Let’s go home!_

Innya punched the King in the gut several times at a rapid pace and he coughed in pain. He did not like experiencing agony and it angered him that such a tiny female could hurt him. He grabbed her by the shirt and slammed her to the ground. Her skull hit the stone with a sickening crack as he pressed his palm into her chest. She wrapped her hands around his wrist to attempt to pry him off of her. Her claws dug into his flesh enough to draw blood, but he ignored that.

“You’re remarkable. Just a beautiful, remarkable bitch,” he whispered as he brushed his lips against hers.

“Go to Hell!” she hollered as she ripped into his skin. He did not even flinch as his blood dripped down her fingers.

He looked up, back to the inside of the palace. “I think it would be best if I left you in the bedroom.”

She tore a chunk from his arm, but it did nothing. “NO!”

“Oh, yes. It’s where you belong.”

The King lifted Innya up by her shirt. Just when she thought that life could not get anymore degrading, here she was a trained assassin being carried by her shirt back to the King’s bedroom. He flung her rather roughly to the bed and watched her bounce on the mattress. 

And that became their daily ritual. Innya would try to escape, he would prove it was impossible and drag her back to the one place she had no desire to be, his bedroom. It seemed like no matter how much she learned about him, figured out how to counter him, he could and would still beat her on brute strength alone. No matter how much she managed to hurt him, he eventually laughed it off as he claimed victory by taking her to bed. Neither of them seemed to tire of the exercise.

After a few months of being slightly entertained from being manhandled while itching to go home, Innya found one day that she was too sick to even think about leaving. She could hardly move. The King rushed a healer to her and she delivered the worst news to Innya. If Innya could have lifted her arm to punch the woman, she would have.

She was pregnant. Most females would have been happy to hear such news, but this was Innya. She wanted to tear the world apart for this added insult that was her life. Now, she had to carry the cub of a dolt she thoroughly despised to the very core of his existence. 

Innya went on a rampage as soon as she stopped throwing up. She trashed almost an entire whole wing of the palace and injured a number of servants before the King had enough of her “little temper tantrum,” as he called it. He pulled his favorite move, grabbing her hands and holding her off of the floor a full arm’s length from him.

“Stop acting like a spoiled cub,” the King to Innya.

“Spoiled? Spoiled!” Innya hollered as she tried to hit her husband, but her legs could not reach him. She did not know what it meant to be spoiled and she was not about to let anyone say otherwise, especially the man responsible for her current mood and condition. She growled at him, bearing her sharp fangs in a threatening manner.

“Do not,” he warned her, holding up his free index finger.

“I’m going home!” she screamed. He would not stop her. Nothing would stop her. She was going home. She would see her mother. Her mother could fix all of this!

“Don’t be foolish, Innya. It doesn’t become you at all.”

“I’ll go through you if necessary.” She was dead serious, but he did not seem to believe her. 

“Innya,” he sighed as he let go of her. “I am not going to fight you. You’re carrying my cub for goodness sake.”

“Then get out of my way,” she said because he happened to be blocking the only exit to the room. _I’m going to my mom!_

“I can’t allow you to leave either.”

Innya smirked. “I’d like to see you try to stop me.”

The King growled at her, but he was serious about not fighting her. He would not allow her to leave either. He wanted her to get it drilled into her head that she belonged to him. She was supposed to be his property to do whatever he desired, which was why when he reduced her to begging for him to stop a few times during their “intimate” sessions, he did not. Her pride, her upbringing, and who she was did not allow her to belong to him, though. She might have begged him a few times, but that did not take away years of training. They were both out to prove opposite views as true.

Innya charged her husband in the narrow room. She expected him to grab her, which he did. He held her up like she was prize fish by her shirt. She shook her head. He was so predictable now. She surprised him, sliding out of the shirt with ease and then she slid between his legs to get to the door. She made sure to give him a powerful punch to the crotch on her way out. He groaned as she took off. When he turned around, his little wife was gone.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya tries to figure out what to do with her freedom.


	6. Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own these characters. Please, do not use them without my permission.

6: Deal

Innya was not about to go home, even though she wanted to so badly. She had not seen her parents since her wedding. The damn King probably ordered them to stay away and never mentioned it to her, as if she would think her parents abandoned her. 

She could not risk getting her parents hurt. She had already pretty much told her husband where she would be if she ever got away. The first place he would look for her was her parents’ house. Her escape for the moment seemed so pointless. He would find her eventually and drag her back to Hell. 

_No, it doesn’t matter. You’re free for right now_. She was out of the palace. She had never been confined anywhere before the King had locked her away in his estate for months. It was time to breathe the air again, to do what she wanted again, and to not dread every moment of life.

She retreated to the woods outside of the village. She could spend the night or several nights in the forest with no problem really. She walked, not making a sound, until she was hungry, like her stomach was about to cave in on itself. Normally, she would have ignored it, but she remembered she had a cub to worry over now. 

She caught a rabbit with ease and ate the creature raw because she was so hungry. She preferred cooked meat, but she did not have the strength to build a fire. Besides a fire would attract unwanted attention. Besides, she was used to raw meals, as all the King ate was raw meat and that was all the palace served, seasoned raw meat. Once her meal was gone, she sighed and looked around as darkness covered the area. Trees and bushes as far as she could see, but still she felt closed in.

“What will this even accomplish?” Innya asked the air, which did not have a good answer. 

She kicked a rock by her foot and ran her hand through her hair. It was so long and she never noticed until now. Who was she now? Would she recognize herself in the mirror? Probably not, but she had not had a chance to look in a long time. So much of her life had turned into fighting with the King. That was basically her entire life. _I’m not free_.

“I’m just running away again, but it won’t help. For all I know, he’s torturing my parents right now to find out where I am or he’s on my trail, about to grab me at any moment to torment me more, take more of me,” she said in a low voice as her eyes continued to scan the forest. She could hear the scurry of little critters, but nothing to alert her the King was on the way.

She scratched her cheek, trying to think. The world swirled around her. She could not live the way the King wanted her to. She could not continue like this. _Think_. 

“What am I supposed to do? I can’t stay there forever. I need to see my parents, especially now.” She rubbed her flat stomach. “I don’t know what to do with a cub. I’m not a mother. I’m an assassin. A pretty lousy assassin, but still an assassin. That little transcendent got away from me twice, easily. The third time I saw him I let him talk me into going back while he got to keep running. It’s not fair. Why didn’t he turn around, too, if he’s so smart? Why am I even thinking about that little marked transcendent bastard?”

Innya sighed again. That stupid transcendent, if only she had killed him the first time they had crossed paths when they became enemies, then none of this would be happening. She hated him. Why could he not just die like a good, little transcendent? He had ruined her life without even meaning it. He always made her life difficult. It was stupid of her to have even been his friend.

“Don’t think about it. Just enjoy the air while you can,” she said. It seemed like the best idea, so she wandered the woods.

She fell asleep in a thicket in the forest and woke up in the King’s bed. She growled in pure frustration as she flung the sheet from her body. She cleaned herself off from her time in the woods and got dressed in the plainest clothes the palace had to offer. She walked the palace aimlessly, scratching up the decorated wooden walls, with a frown on her face that told servants to stay away from her or die. Every person in the estate avoided Innya, which was the wise thing to do.

 _Where the hell is my “beloved” husband?_ She was shocked he had not been around to scold her for assaulting him and running off with his cub. She quickly got over the surprise when she caught a new scent in the air of the palace. It was not a scent Innya was used to, but she knew what it was. A woman’s perfume, an expensive fragrance. She sniffed in the direction the scent came from.

She could not help laughing to herself. _He works rather fast_. He managed to sneak a bitch into the palace while also hunting her down in the forest.

Innya quietly made her way around, following the new scent. Her husband was in the back garden. He strolled with a female Innya had never seen before, but was obviously of high status because of her clothes and jewelry. She was decked out in bright colored silks and shining silver, shimmering with precious stones. She was a blonde, busty, giggly female from what Innya could see. 

The bitch covered her mouth with her pale hand, so delicate, but weighed down by silver bangles, as she tittered. What could the King have said to have the female laughing like a ditzy blonde? It only took Innya a couple of minutes to realize the woman was, indeed, a ditzy blonde.

She stalked the pair, feeling like she could learn something she might use against the King. _I’m rather insulted if_ that’s _going to replace me_. But, from what she knew of the King, the blonde was much more his speed.

She was obviously a noble, as no Wolf from across the moat could afford such extravagance and that included assassins, like her. Her blonde hair, golden like the sun, was done with jeweled combs and decorated with gems. Her pale features showed she did not often see the sun, wealthy enough to have others toil outside during the day for her.

It did not take Innya much time to find out that her husband was having a very heated affair. He spent every moment of every day with his blonde for a week. He did not visit Innya during that time, even though she had not gone back to _that_ room since she escaped it.

Whatever kept him away from her was fine by her. She tested the waters to see how distracted the King was by his affair. She found the palace blacksmith and commissioned a sword. She never had a chance to see if he would do such a thing for her, as the King never let her out of his sight. The smith shrugged and got right to work, promising her priority. He had the weapon in her hands within days, claiming he used magic to make it so quickly.

Innya considered taking the sword and walking out of the palace. She could cut down any Guard who might try to stop her, but she doubted the King was _that_ distracted. After all, he fetched her from the woods. She could not just leave and she could not just live in the palace while the King carried on his affair.

It was not that Innya cared. It was just the optics of it all. The affair made Innya look bad. Innya could not go from being the most dangerous warrior in the whole tribe to the quiet, docile little wife of the King who let him get away with anything. It just was not her style. Nobody just walked all over her without a fight, not even the King.

So, she was finished sneaking around. It was time to be upfront about things after a week of skulking about. She had proof there was a love affair going on behind her back and that was all she needed to exercise her rights. 

She dressed that morning in her usual clothes, which gave her a hard time to find until she threatened a bunch of servants. She even found her sword, on display in a royal weapons’ room of all places, and attached her sword to her hip. She carried her newly fashioned sword on her shoulder. She brushed her hair and tied it back. She checked her boots to make sure they were polished. 

After all of that, she looked herself over in a mirror to make sure she looked fine. She wanted to look presentable on what she hoped would be the day she became free. No matter what happened she reckoned the day was going to be fun.

“You almost look like someone I know,” she said to her reflection. There were lines under her eyes, though. Her complexion was ashen, like stress ate her color and her aura dulled so much it was clear on her face. Even with the possibility of gaining some control over her life, she was still weary.

Innya marched down the hall with a frightening smirk on her face. People avoided her, which was a good thing. She went to the room her husband had put his “guest” in and they should both still be there if their pattern held true. Innya kicked the doors down, which she had not meant to do, but whatever worked was fine by her. _Good to know I still have that kind of power_.

“Good morning, young lovers,” Innya greeted her husband and his ditzy blonde. The couple lay in the bed with the sheet barely covering their bodies, which Innya did not need to see. Had he not tormented her enough? 

“Innya,” the King sort of growled her name. He seemed both upset and amused by her, which Innya hated. It was like she was his pet monkey and everything she did amused him, except for when she kicked him in the crotch that one time. Innya was entertained, too, so she excused her husband for the moment.

“Yes, it is. I’ve come to negotiate,” Innya said.

His thick eyebrow went up. “Negotiate?”

“Yes, it’s becoming wonderfully obvious that I no longer serve a purpose around here. I’m not going to complain. You’ve got the lovely Miss Ashti and I know you two are happy together. I’m not going to stand in the way of that. I just want to go home, so you can stop sneaking around like you’re hiding something from me. It’s really quite pathetic.”

He grunted. “How did you find out?” 

_Wow, was he really trying to hide this?_ Innya looked at him like the dumb ass he was. “It’s not all that hard. I’m an assassin and we sort of specialize in not being seen. I know enough about you two to not care anymore, not that I cared much in the beginning. I just want to go home.”

He snorted and shook his head. “Do you really think it’s that easy? You still serve a purpose here, Innya.”

“Do I?” she asked. He had led her to believe she had been there for the fun of watching her try to leave and, of course, the punishment she endured for trying to leave.

“Yes, you do. So, I can’t allow you to go home.”

Taking a breath, Innya shrugged and went to play her next card. “Well, then, I guess I’ll just have to exercise my right as your wife, no matter how lowly the status is.” While she was his belonging, she was still his wife and he had to respect that. She took the blade she had over her shoulder and held it in her hand. The sword had excellent weight, even in the scabbard.

Innya spun the weapon in her hand and unsheathed it with unseen speed. She pointed the blade at her husband’s mistress. It felt good in her hand. The blacksmith was a genius. It was balanced perfectly and lightweight with a glint along the double-edge.

“Innya,” the King said her name as a warning. “You are my property.”

She growled. “I am still your wife. We have a marriage certificate. You insisted on it. So, again, I am your wife, regardless of how you want to look at it. I have a right to this.”

The right Innya spoke of was as his wife, she could kill any female he slept with without her permission. It was a violation of her honor. Any violation of honor was punishable by death in the Wolf tribe, as they were seen as acts of betrayal in some way, no matter how trivial the matter seemed. To Innya, she did not think there would be a more trivial death on her hands than that of Ashti, her husband’s mistress, but she was prepared to do just about anything to get out of the palace. It did not help that she could actually hear Ashti shivering and smell her fear.

“I cannot allow you to do that, Innya,” the King said while his lover cowered closely to him. Scaring the woman was not even worth it to Innya, but she wanted to go home so badly.

“Well, we can negotiate or we can fight,” Innya replied. If he fought her, even if he physically beat her, he was still in the wrong.

He shook his head again. “I can’t allow you to go home.”

She curled her lip. “So you say now. What if I slit her throat, though? Then could I suddenly be allowed to go home?”

“No, I still wouldn’t allow you to go home,” he answered and Innya was not prepared for that. She was certain her death threat would do the trick. She really did not want to kill Ashti, but now he was tempting her as frustration and anger clawed at her stomach. That was a good way for people to end up dead.

Innya blew out a breath and almost glared at the ceiling, but knew she needed to keep her eyes on this man. “What do I have to do to get out of here?” 

“Innya, could you go in the garden? We’ll discuss this matter privately.”

Innya snarled. “Fine, but if this doesn’t go well for me then I assure you, it’ll go much worse for her.” She turned to leave after gathering her sword sheath. 

She heard her husband growl as she left the room, placing her sword back in its case. She threw her shoulders back, pleased he was at least upset. She went to the garden just outside and paced. _Why won’t he just let me leave?_ It did not make any sense. He had a new toy. She should be irrelevant.

And then her stomach flipped and it hit her. He could not let her leave for the same reason why he would not fight her anymore. The blonde was not her bargaining chip. The baby was. _This is why he married me rather than just owning me. He wanted to make sure he could claim our cub_.

“That was a bold move on your part, Innya,” the King said as he joined her outside. He was in a long, dark blue robe with leather sandals on his feet. He stood behind her and blocked off any sunlight she might have wanted.

“I like to keep people on their toes and show you that you can’t hide from me,” Innya replied.

He nodded. “You must be a good assassin, better than I thought at first. I had no idea you were even around.”

“Good?” She shook her head and glared at him. _Good?_ He might as well have insulted her parents in the same breath. She resisted the urge to slap him. This needed to go as civilly as they could manage. “Those weaklings at the Pit are good. I’ve killed ‘good’ assassins with such ease. I’m the best.” She put her chin in the air. It was the truth.

“I know.” He stared at her as if that was the truth, as if it had a meaning she did not get. The air was still and thick between them. “Do you really hate it here?” he asked as if he could not believe it. His tails twitched behind him, like it bothered him. Really, like it was impossible for her to hate being held prisoner away from her parents and her home and to be raped daily. How could she possibly hate that?

“Yes,” she answered bluntly. He was a bigger dolt than she thought before.

“Before or after Ashti showed up?”

“Way before,” she replied. _Where the hell are these questions coming from?_ He could not be serious. There was no way for her to have ever liked being in the palace.

He stared her down, head tilted in contemplation. “Did I not give you what you wanted? What you were willing to give you left arm for?”

“You took more than my left arm in exchange and there’s much more to life than fighting,” she replied. _Mom_. _Dad_. Her heart ached for them.

“I didn’t know you thought that.”

 _How empty is his life?_ Or better still, how empty did he think her life was? “I wouldn’t have been living with my parents still if I didn’t think there was more to life than a good fight. Fighting’s great. It’s my favorite thing to do, but I did it long before you came along and I’ll do it long after you’re dead. You never gave me what I wanted. You just used me after you saw what I could do at the Pit.” He targeted her, tormented her, and was sick enough to think she liked it. _Aren’t you sick enough to like it? Doesn’t it thrill you to fight him?_ She ignored that nagging voice in her head.

“You didn’t seem to mind.”

 _I didn’t seem to mind? What the hell is wrong with this man?_ “You mean my daily escape attempts to get the hell out of here didn’t tip you off?” It was a thrill to fight him, but everything that went with it was pure agony. _I would never like that!_

A deep, questioning grunt escaped him. “I thought it was all part of the game that we were playing.”

“A game?” Innya wanted to scream, but took a deep breath to contain herself. She doubted she would be able to understand him if she lived for a thousand years.

Game? Games were meant to be fun and she did not see the fun in what she had gone through every day thanks to him. But, since he seemed to operate in some different reality, she decided to stay on task. She needed to get the hell out of here. 

“Look, I just want to go back home. I want to go back to my life. I know you won’t let me because of the cub. But, you can have the cub to raise and do whatever,” Innya said and she could not even believe the words that she was saying. _You damn coward! You can’t be so desperate for freedom that you’d sign your own cub away to this monster_. Her parents would probably beat her to death if they knew she was willing to sacrifice her own cub to get off of royal grounds. She would take being killed by her parents over being abused by the King. At least she would be home.

“You don’t mean that,” he said and she knew that he was right.

She would say anything right now, but her heart would not let her give up her cub. Once she had the cub and if he came for it, she would fight him on that, too. It was her cub, after all. Yes, he had a right to the cub as the father and her husband, but he was not fit to raise a damn chipmunk, so she would not let him ruin her cub. She could not just give away something so precious and write herself out of her own cub’s life, especially to be raised by a savage like the King.

“You can have the cub,” she lied again. “I know it’s your first one and it’s probably your heir. That’s why you won’t let me leave. You can have it.”

He looked bored. “Wrong.”

“What?” she asked through gritted teeth. She wanted to stomp her foot, but needed to keep her cool. The second he thought he had her, he would have her. _Keep calm. Understand what’s going on here. Don’t give in_.

“That isn’t why I won’t allow you to leave,” he said.

“Then, by the moon, what do I have to do to get out of this place?” she huffed. It was like being in her own personal hell that was already in her own personal hell.

“You can’t leave point blank now. That’s why I married you. You’re my wife. You’re here. You could kill Ashti, you could try to give me the cub, you can even whine, cry if it’ll make you feel better. Hell, go kill a hundred Guards if it strikes your fancy, but you can’t leave here.”

Innya snarled. “Why not?” How could she hold so many cards and still end up losing!

He glanced over her. “It’s much too late for you to leave now.”

“Why? And don’t try to lie to me and say you love me or something else just as stupid. I’m an amusement at best to you and I’m sick of this nonsense. My novelty wore off, so let me go.” She glared at him. What more could he want from her, beyond her pain and suffering?

“Your novelty hasn’t worn off. I’m almost certain it never will,” he replied.

“Then what’s the point of the blonde? I’m carrying your cub, big freaking deal. You can have the cub and raise it as you see fit.”

“Innya, you’re a bold, remarkable, and incredible bitch, but you’re so naïve it’s almost endearing. Maybe even cute.” He had the nerve to chuckle.

“I’m naïve?” she asked. She had never in her life been called naïve. She was well traveled and intelligent enough to understand most things that she encountered. It was not her fault the King was a giant psychopath who had a skewed view of the world.

He tried to caress her cheek with his big paw, but she moved. He smiled. “You’re carrying my first cub, quite possibly my heir. You’re the mother of my first cub,” he tried to explain without giving away why she was so naïve.

“And?” Innya was not following. What did she know about parenting and cub-rearing?

“And that’s why you’re naïve. I couldn’t possibly let you go.”

Innya frowned and searched her mind for how this went so wrong so fast for her. She should have the upper hand. Something had to give and it was going to give that day or she was going to go insane. “Let me go home or I’ll just kill myself and your cub will come along to keep me company.” That bluff was probably worse than her giving him the cub.

The King’s dark amber eyes danced with mirth, locked on his tiny wife like he wanted to pat her on the head. “You are ruthless, Innya, I’ve heard, but not heartless. You couldn’t possibly kill your own cub. You couldn’t even kill yourself because it’d hurt your parents.”

Innya growled and she unsheathed her sword for the second time. She put the blade to her throat. Her husband did not make any move to stop her. He was right, of course. She wished the dolt did not look so smug about it. 

She could not condemn her unborn cub to die with her because she hated her life and she probably could not kill herself even if the cub was not there because it would crush her parents. They would blame themselves for it and possibly kill themselves over it. She sheathed her sword and glared at him. _Why won’t he just take the damn cub and let me go?_ Did he know that she would just go back on that deal? _This cub is mine and I will protect it_.

Then it hit her like a slap from her mother. Now, she could understand why he would not let her go. She smiled wickedly and felt her blood stir in the best way for the first time in a long time. She might not get to go home, but she was about to hate the palace just a little less in a moment. She was about to be free a little bit, about to have some control again.

“You want me to raise the cub to be like me,” Innya said. That was why he stalked her. He wanted to see what she was about. It might even be why he fought her.

He grunted. “What?” It was like he did not hear her, but that was not possible. It was out there now.

“I’ve got so many possibilities thanks to the cub.” Innya rubbed her stomach and smiled more. _You saved me. You saved us_.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” the King asked.

“I want my own rooms, far, far away from you and your blonde,” Innya replied.

He curled his lip and glared back at her. “What?”

“I’m the mother of your cub, your first cub. This cub will be loyal to me before anyone else,” Innya reminded him and let him know that she knew just what he knew now.

“You are a crude, underhanded bitch.”

She growled at him. “You have little right to call me underhanded after the way you acquired me. Now, as I was saying, I want my own rooms. I want my own space to exist in. I want to be far, far away from you and Ashti always. My parents are allowed to come visit me if they want and also see the cub once it’s born. I want to be able to come and go as I please. In other words, I want my freedom. I want to belong to me. Technically, we’ll still be married, of course, but I get to be my own bitch from now on.” There was no way around the marriage with her carrying his possible heir. “Agreed?” She grinned at him, flashing all of her teeth.

A noise rumbled in his chest. “You cannot be serious. I own you and I rather enjoy owning you.” He returned her grin with one of his own.

“Yeah, but I own this cub and maybe I’ll enjoy making him want to kill you as much I do,” she said and she rubbed her abdomen again, which caused the King to growl. She liked to upset him. _It’s fun to finally have the upper hand_. 

He grunted. “Fine.”

She chuckled, dark and deep. _Victory, finally!_ “Nice doing business with you. I want all of that in writing, of course.” Not that she believed even a legal contract would be something to stop the King from going back on his word. But, her belonging to him was in writing. She wanted her emancipation from him in writing as well. 

He grunted. “I’ll have it delivered to you by the end of the night.”

She nodded. “Now, since I belong to myself I must request you never touch me again.” She never wanted to be touched “intimately” ever again. She had never had the desire, but he killed even any curiosity she might have developed over it. 

His eyes flashed. “What? You’re my wife!” Like that made him entitled to her.

“My body’s my own, even if we’re married. I don’t like being touched, especially by you.”

He let loose a low, long breath. “You seemed to enjoy it.”

 _What life is he living in to come to the conclusions he does?_ She thought that voice in her head would dispute that, but nope. No part of her liked being touched by this bastard. “You don’t know me and you don’t own me. So, you won’t be touching me anymore, right?” she inquired with another smirk. If he touched her again without her permission, even as King, he was doing something illegal. He might try, but she would cause him grief about it. She would turn the village upside down about his tyranny. 

“Fine,” he grumbled and if she looked closely, she might think he had a pout on his face. It was almost like he enjoyed being with her rather than tormenting her.

“Good.” She took a deep breath, her first as a free woman. She then nodded toward the door. “Now, your guest is probably getting lonely, so you should get back to her. You don’t want to look like the terrible host, do you?” She chuckled.

“Innya,” he said her name in a low growl. It was not an angry sound, but it was as if all he could do was grunt or growl her name.

“Yes?” she asked, even though she did not care what he had to say. She was free!

“You can’t have anyone else,” he told her. Maybe he thought such a restriction would get her to go back to his bed one day. He did not know her very well, though.

She shrugged. “I never wanted anybody to begin with.” Desire never scratched under her skin like it did for most people, and now it probably never would. It was not something she thought about. Her days had always been busy enough for her to never think about how she never thought about sex or romance or relationships.

“Good. No one can ever touch you again. No one else deserves to have you.” The King caressed her cheek with his massive hand. It was the first time he ever touched her in a tender manner and she let him for a moment.

“I know. You didn’t even deserve me. You stole me,” she said and then she moved her face from his reach. “Now, keep your hands to yourself.”

The King grunted and Innya gave him a teasing smile. He left her alone and she felt like she was going to jump for joy. She was free! Her cub had saved her life. Oh, she wanted to hug the unborn cub. She could not believe it, but after months of being trapped in the palace, she could leave without a struggle. Sure, she had to come back, but she could go into the village. She could go home! She could go to her parents! Innya bolted to her parents’ house. She was even surprised at how fast she had run there.

She banged on the front door of her parents’ house, but was careful to not break it down. “Mommy! Daddy! Please be home!” She really did not care how undignified she appeared, did not care if the neighbors watched, did not care if they talked. She was home! 

The door opened and Innya acted without thinking. She embraced whoever opened the door before she even realized who it was. Luckily it was her mother.

“Innya!” her mother shouted with joy and she returned the hug.

“Oh, Mommy!” Innya sighed in relief as she held onto the older female for a moment. Her mother did the same and sniffled. Innya could understand the noise as emotion bubbled up in her chest and tears turned her eyes. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya tells her parents the news and they enjoy being a family again.


	7. Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, do not use my characters without my consent. Thank you.

7: Pride

Innya’s mother let out a sob as she held Innya. For a long moment, it felt like the world stood still. The press of her mother and the scent of her, like hibiscus flowers, filled Innya and it was like only she and her mother existed. Her mother surrounded her and it was everything. 

But, Innya stepped out of the embrace, not out of embarrassment. She wanted to look at her mother. Her mother seemed to enjoy the same thing, even as tears poured out of her green eyes. Innya could see those eyes were broken, but also they healed right before her.

Her mother seemed the same, beyond the crying. Her face had some stress lines and her grey hair was now closer to white, but she was there and she was solid and it was more than enough. Innya managed a smile and her mother cried more.

“What are you doing here, baby?” Her mother caressed her cheek and pulled her in for another hug. She gave Innya an extra-tight squeeze, which Innya relished for the first time in her life. Then, stepped away to look at her again. “Is the King really allowing you to visit?” her mother’s voice quivered, so afraid of the answer. She had probably heard tales of how her daughter struggled to escape from the palace with no luck.

Innya held her mother’s hands and squeezed, needing her to feel the joy through a physical connection. She bounced on her heels, ready to burst from the happiness bubbling up inside of her. “Mommy, I can visit whenever I want! I’m free!”

Her mother squinted and stared at her as if she spoke nonsense. “You’re free?”

Innya puffed out her chest, pride swelling every bit of her. “I made him give me to myself. I’m still married to him, but he doesn’t own me anymore. Nobody owns me anymore.” She was her own, but it felt like she was her old self again, the Innya who belonged to and with her parents.

Her mother sniffled, which did very little for the snot coming from her nose or the tears pouring down her face. “How did you manage that?”

“I’ll tell you over some tea,” Innya said. She was never a big tea drinker, but she would never stop if she could bask in her mother’s presence.

Her mother nodded. “Great. I’d love that.” She wiped her face with her hands and then stepped out of Innya’s way, so she could come in.

Innya entered her former home and felt comfort engulf her. She sighed as relief flowed through her, taking in the familiar peppermint scent of the living room, and followed her mother into the kitchen. It was just as tiny as it was a few months ago, but it felt massive. Her mother shook as she collected the tea pot. Innya put her hand on her mother’s wrist.

“Mommy, take your time. I’m not going anywhere,” Innya said.

Her mother sniffed and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I’m so overjoyed to see you. For a while, I feared I had imagined I ever had you. I thought I was just a silly old woman who dreamed up her beautiful daughter in the throngs of grief.”

“Mommy…” Innya did not know what to do beyond embrace her mother. The trembles shook her, so she held tighter. Her mother took several breaths before she stopped shaking. When she patted Innya’s head, Innya knew she could let go.

They both sat down at the small wooden table after her mother put the tea water on. Innya gave her mother a small smile while the older warrior grinned. Innya put her hand on the table and her mother grabbed it instantly with both of hers.

“It’s a shame that your father isn’t here,” her mother said as she glanced over to the living room.

It really was and Innya’s heart sank for a moment. _He’ll be back and you can see him because you can leave that hellhole whenever you want_. And, they could come visit her, not that she wanted them there. She wanted to be home with them. 

“He’s out on a mission?” Innya asked. Her father did not do much beyond go on missions and spend time with his wife or daughter.

Her mother nodded. “Yes. We’ve been trying to keep busy and go out on assignments at the same time and be home at the same time. I never knew how big this place could seem until I was the only one home. It’s hard to keep busy. I’ve been helping the neighbors with things.”

Innya was not surprised. “Anything exciting?”

“No, basic things. I’ve become a favored babysitter again. Because children are almost always moving, I can focus on them and not think about…” Her mother swallowed and wiped her eyes. Then, she shook her head and smiled again as she focused on Innya again. “Your father hasn’t been doing much better. He was here for a day by himself and he couldn’t even sleep. He said the place was too empty and I agree with him.” She looked around and sighed, her shoulders dropping.

Innya laughed a little. “Now, you know how I felt when you both left me here alone that time.” It never felt empty, but boring. She spent most of her time at the Pit or practicing when her parents were both gone.

“You said you could handle it. After all, you were Innya, the great killer, the big bad wolf.” Her mother waved her hands to further mock her. 

Innya’s body was light. She even missed this gentle teasing. She could not fight down the smile on her face. Her cheeks hurt, but she did not care. She was home.

With a snicker, Innya pressed her palm to her chest. “I was only fifteen when I said that.”

“And so full of yourself because you could finally kill a person without getting hit. When we got back here, you were practically starved to death because you couldn’t cook. You ate so much raw meat you made yourself sick. You were lying on the floor like a drunk when we came in. I felt so sorry for my little Innie.” Her mother chuckled as she reached over and grabbed Innya’s hand again.

Innya could not help laughing right along with her mother. “Yeah, that could’ve been really funny. I’m sure no one would’ve seen that one coming where Innya the great killer killed herself because her parents were away for nearly a month.”

“I never did leave you alone for that long, even after you learned to cook.”

“You know, I tried to cook while you were gone that time. I really did, but I’d either burn it or undercook it. I didn’t know a thing about spices. My meals, the ones I got cooked, were so bland. It was yuck. I didn’t want to ask any of the neighbors since they’re struggling. It didn’t help that Dad took most of the money with him, so I wouldn’t waste it. I could’ve at least bought some food, but I had to try my hand at cooking myself, he said. For a long time, I was convinced the stuff he left just wasn’t right and that’s why my food was messed up. Somehow, the food itself was defective, but now I can admit I was pretty terrible.” Innya scrunched her face up at the thought of her misadventure as a teenager. She had tried so hard to cook, but it was not her thing. Her dad was a strong believer in tough love, but after that, he always made sure to leave her with enough coins to buy prepared food.

“How have you been eating lately?” her mother asked with that motherly concern that used to drive Innya insane, but she had grown to miss even being nagged after being apart from her parents for so many months.

Innya curled her lip and shook her head. “Only raw meat.” It was gross. “I’ve adjusted to it, but I don’t think I’ll ever actually like it. The King doesn’t believe meat should be cooked.” Somehow, it worked for him.

Her mother’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, that isn’t healthy, sweetie.”

Innya blew out a breath. That was an opening for the news as to why she was free. “Well, the doctor said I’m healthy.”

Her mother’s face twisted. “Doctor?” They were a family that never went to the doctor because they were never that injured or sick. Occasionally, they might get wounded, but they went to healers for that.

“Yeah, I had been feeling really sick lately, so I saw a doctor,” Innya replied.

“Has the raw meat been making you feel that way? If so, I’ll go tell the King right now he had better—”

“No, Mom,” Innya interjected to stop her mother’s rant. “It’s not the meat or anything. It’s just…” Innya took another deep breath. “…I’m pregnant.”

Her mother gasped and her eyes went impossibly wide. “My cub… is carrying a cub?” Her mouth trembled and her eyes glistened once more. “Oh, Innie!”

Innya groaned as her mother invaded her space and embraced her yet again. Innya rolled her eyes, even though her mother’s joy was very touching. Innya had to play it cool. One emotional outburst was enough for one day. There was no way she was hugging anybody so many times in the same day, let alone the same hour.

“I’ll be a grandma!” Her mother practically cheered, even throwing up a fist.

“I had a feeling you’d like that,” Innya said with a smile. Her mother always wanted her to have cubs, but it just was not something Innya felt she could do. She could not picture herself as a mother.

“How far along?” her mother inquired, fangs digging into her bottom lip.

Innya shrugged. “Not very far. I mean, as you can see, I’m not showing or anything like that.”

Her mother blew out a breath and practically fell back into her seat. “I didn’t think I would get to be a grandma.” She rubbed her forehead as a tear slid down her cheek.

“Mom, you know if it were up to me, you wouldn’t have been,” Innya said. She did not know what possessed her to say that, but she wished she could have just kept her mouth shut and let her mother enjoy the moment.

Her mother looked at her with those green eyes that were always concerned about her. There was a flash and then anger. “Innya, did he force you to do anything that you didn’t want to do? If he hurt you, I swear—”

Innya held up her hand to stop her mother. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. It’s nothing.” She did not want her mother getting killed on her account. It did not matter, anyway. What was done was done and it would not happen again unless the King wanted serious problems in his life.

Her mother nodded, but the fury lived in her eyes for several seconds, taking away any tears she might have shed. Her mother would give her life if the King had hurt Innya. She would just make sure the King suffered horribly before she died. That was how her mother was and Innya did not want to cause her mother any trouble. So, she definitely would not tell her mother what she had been through with the King apart from the deal they had made. And even when she told her mother how she gained her freedom, she planned to edit some of that, so her mother did not know she tried to lie to the King about how he could have the cub, even though she would not have kept that bargain.

“Mom, the water,” Innya said, reminding her mother of the tea water. They would be lucky if there was any left.

“Oh, right.” Her mother got the boiled water and prepared two cups of hibiscus tea.

“I didn’t think I’d miss this so much.” Innya sipped her tea, enjoying the honey added to sweeten it. It was hot, familiar, and somehow gave her life. Or, maybe that was just from sitting across from her mother.

Her mother smiled. “It’s one of the few things that helps keep me calm. Now, tell me how you’ve managed to make it back to us? The King banned us from the palace grounds, made sure to let us know right before your wedding it would be the only time we could step foot on royal property.”

“Well, that’s changed. You can come whenever you like.” Not that it mattered.

Her mother blinked. “He changed his mind?”

“I changed his mind.”

“Please, tell me how.”

Innya then explained how she came to be free after being held prisoner for so long. Her mother was not as amused by the tale as Innya had been when it began and ended. Innya knew her mother would not see the humor in it because a person had to be a little twisted to find the tale funny. Innya thought her mother, aside from being a deadly assassin, was quite normal.

“You should’ve killed that bitch he was with. If I caught your father with anyone else, I’d kill the both of them. Flay them more than likely,” her mother said.

Innya shook her head and sipped her tea. “Mom, you love Dad. You would’ve actually been betrayed. I don’t even like the King. He could die and I’d probably be a happier person.”

Her mother conceded that with a twitch to her mouth and drank some of her tea. “Still, I mean, he took you from us and as soon as you got pregnant, he tossed you aside like you were some dirty plate. He should’ve left you here and got that tramp from the beginning.”

Innya stuck her tongue out. “He wanted me to be the mother of his heir.”

Her mother nodded. “I see, he wants a deadly cub.”

Innya shrugged. “Yeah, after all, that’s the way you raised me, so of course I’d raise my cub the same way.” Although, she did not see how he thought she would do that without contact from her parents. She did not know what to do with a cub. “He likes this Ashti bitch, though. She isn’t the most desirable bitch to have a cub with, despite how much he likes her at the moment. She’s missing a little up here.” Innya pointed to her head. “But, I guess she makes up for it here.” Innya motioned to her breasts.

“Nothing makes up for what’s missing up here,” her mother replied while pointing to her head.

“I suppose that’s true, but maybe only warriors look at it that way. Maybe the upper classes are different.” She had never really interacted with the upper classes. They did not make it a point to come across the moat unless they wanted to play around in the Pit, but that was not often. One wrong move in the Pit was death, no matter what social class, even if she was not there.

“Trust me, a brain is a universally good thing, especially when looking to produce valuable offspring. So, he just used you for breeding?” Her mother frowned and stared over for her, possibly contemplating the King’s demise.

“As far as I can tell,” Innya admitted. It was disgusting now that her mother put it that way. He wanted her blood and her skills. He did not care about her as a person, even if he liked to play like he fulfilled her wishes and everything was game. _He’s such a bastard!_

Her mother curled her lip. “And he claimed his intentions were honorable. You’re all right about this? I mean, you’re so calm, yet you know he used you and stole you from us.”

Innya sighed and hung her head for a moment. “It’s partially my fault.”

Her mother gnashed her teeth and slapped the table, rattling their cups. “How’s it your fault? You sound like a battered bitch, saying that. How’s being used your fault?”

Innya sighed. She was something. Well, she was also battered. She just was not making excuses for her dolt of a husband. She challenged him. She should have known better.

“He presented me with a challenge and I foolishly accepted. I was just so hungry for a battle. He answered my call. I can’t take it back now.” Innya shrugged, wishing it did not bother her as much as she tried to make it seem. Regardless of what happened, he fed her desire and it made her hungry again. Now, she had a goal, someone to surpass. One day, she would teach that bastard a lesson.

Her mother frowned and stared into her teacup for a long moment. “So, you really couldn’t fight him, huh, baby?”

“No, I could.” Innya rubbed her forehead. “I just always lost. Hell, I still always lose. You were so right, Mom.” She locked eyes with her mother. “He would’ve killed me. I don’t think I’ve ever been this humble before in my life, except for that time Dad had to actually stab me in the shoulder to get me under control after that rampage I went on years ago.”

“Oh, before you figured out that with all of your power, you needed to control yourself and you weren’t immortal or indestructible.”

“Yeah, I think I was starting to get that way again.” The end of her teenage years had been a mess. She had gotten cocky and thought the rules did not apply to her, thought she was the only thing that mattered, and thought nothing could ever stop her from what she wanted, but her father taught her a lesson. The King taught her another, but his time would come.

Her mother reached across the table and patted her hand. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’s hard to stay humble when you’re the best at what you do.” Her mother understood. She had been the best warrior in the army and had been the best Moon Thief for quite a while.

“I… I missed you, Mom,” Innya whispered. It felt heavy to admit, but once the words were out, she felt light, like she could float away.

Her mother smiled. “I figured as much when I heard you yelling ‘mommy’ at the door.”

“I didn’t say ‘mommy’!” Innya growled. It was very childish to say “mommy.” _You said it because she’s your mommy_. That was true, but she would never admit it aloud or stand for being teased about it.

Her mother sat up taller. “Yes, you did. You called for your mommy and daddy.”

“No, I didn’t!” Now, she pounded the table with both hands. The cups rattled, but more important, bits of the table fell off. The table was almost as old as she was.

Her mother did not break eye contact. She even sipped her tea. “Oh, yes, you did.”

Innya defended herself for a few minutes while her mother teased her about yelling “mommy” and “daddy.” She did not remember saying it, but she probably did. She had been so overwhelmed to be home.

They made small talk afterwards well into the night, reminiscing and her mother filling her in on what was happening in the neighborhood in her absence. Usually, she would not care, but she hung on her mother’s every word now. Her mother cooked. It was not much, just a chicken she had for herself, but they split it. There were mushrooms, bread, and leafy greens with it. It was the best meal of Innya’s entire life.

“If I had known you would be here…” Her mother glanced away.

“Mom, I’m happy just to sit here and eat with you. This could’ve been a bowl of mice stew for all I care.” Hell, it could have been a bowl of dirt and she would have devoured it with a smile.

“Still, next time you come, and when your father’s back, we’ll have a feast. I won’t spare the cost. All the neighbors will be welcome,” her mother said with her chin in the air. They could probably afford it. It would not be the first time her mother fed the neighborhood either.

“I look forward to it.”

“For now, it’s late.” Her mother looked out of the window where a night sky greeted them.

Innya did not wish to leave, but her mother forced her to do so. Her mother did not desire for her to anger the King and then start a whole new set of problems. Innya left both of her swords behind as assurance that she would return the next day. She hugged her mother farewell. Fine, so she hugged someone multiple times in one day, but it was her mother. 

She made her way back to the palace and, on the way there, she felt eyes watching her. She ignored the person for the moment since they did not seem to be causing her trouble. Could be a spy for the King, making sure she returned to the palace.

When Innya arrived back at the estate, there was a servant who led her to her new rooms, her new space. Her bedroom was located clear on the other side of the palace from the King and Ashti. There were a few garden spaces, some larger than others, and several empty rooms for her to use as she saw fit.

She did not care much about that at the moment because she was still being stalked. She went to her window and stood on the ledge. She was snatched up to the roof and almost laughed when she saw who had followed her.

“You really are an idiot, transcendent,” Innya said to Taeyrin.

“I know,” he replied with a bright smile as he let her go. His eyes did not sparkle in the same way they usually did. He seemed tense, shoulders back in a way she had never seen with him before. There was something wrong, but she should not care. Except… she did.

“If the King finds you, he’ll kill you.” That was important information he seemed to forget.

“I know.”

“I should kill you myself, but you’ve caught me without a sword again.”

He laughed and puffed his chest out. “I pick my spots wisely. The King’s busy at the moment and you’re unarmed. You know if I knew you were running away from here, I don’t think I would’ve recommended returning. I might’ve even taken you with me. Nobody deserves this, especially against their will and I know you aren’t here voluntarily.”

She scratched her eyebrow. “No, he threatened my parents. I had to come back or who knows what he would’ve done to them.” She should probably thank him for advising her to come back, but he was part of the reason she was in this mess. _Damn thief that just won’t die_. “What about you? You’re going back to that bitch you were with by the river?” she asked. What now seemed like a lifetime ago, she saw him with a female transcendent back when she thought that she had him at the river, but he had a blasted barrier spell up she failed to detect and she made a total ass of herself by running right into the damned thing.

“I didn’t even think you noticed her,” he said with a laugh (in retrospect, it was funny because now she was family with the transcendent female thanks to their cubs).

Innya arched an eyebrow. “You seemed awfully comfortable with her.”

“We seem awfully comfortable.” He motioned between them to show comfort did not mean much. They were comfortable and she had vowed to kill him. But, then again, they were comfortable from knowing each other for almost their entire lives.

She gave him a sidelong glance. “Is that why you ran from her?”

“Isn’t that really why you want to kill me?” he replied.

Innya growled at him, but he did not seem affected by the noise. “Don’t change the subject. You know I never fall for that.” He was always trying to squirm his way around the matter at hand.

“I just wanted to let you know I’m back. Come and kill me anytime you like, if you can leave here, anyway.” He looked around. He had some idea what sort of prison this was, but unless it was lived, he would never truly know.

“I can come and go as I please, but I can’t fight you anytime soon.”

“No?” He could not look more confused if he tried. She did not turn down battles and he probably knew that better than her own parents.

“You’re more than a worthy opponent. You always have been, so I’d like to be at full force when I come for you. I owe you that much.”

“You’re not right now?”

“I have a cub,” she said, hand to her stomach.

He gasped and his jaw practically hit the floor. “You? The Wolf who told me she was never getting married or reproducing? You? You think the whole…” He made some meaningless hand gestures. “You think the whole thing is stupid.”

She sighed. “Life isn’t going according to plan.”

He blew out a breath and his shoulders dropped. “Tell me about it. Um… could I say hi to the cub?”

Innya rolled her eyes. “Go ahead.”

He bent down to her stomach and rubbed her flat abdomen. He did not say anything. He just stroked her stomach. Her tail thrashed behind her impatiently. She would have thought he was casting a spell, but she did not sense any magic. Even if he was, it would not be a malicious spell, as he was not that way. But, she did not want him doing anything to her cub without her permission. Just like she did not want his help in any matter. They were supposed to be enemies for crying out loud. _We were never very good at that_.

“You be good for Innya, you got that, little cub? She’s out of her element here, but I know you’re in good hands,” he said, his usual smile in place.

Innya snorted. What made him say nice words to her cub when she wanted to kill him? She would never understand him. He had always been an odd fellow who did not make much sense to her. He was so nice and carefree, but troubled like everyone else, apparently.

“You should go,” Innya said after a long moment.

“I know, but I just… Well, you’re going to hate this, but I wanted to check on you,” he confessed.

 _He’s such a caring asshole!_ She smiled at him. “I know and I do hate it, but that’s how you are. I’m going to kill you, little transcendent. I have to. Try to understand.”

“I finally do, Innya. I really do,” he said, running his hand through his hair.

“It’s so horrible, isn’t it?” she asked.

“It is. I don’t know how you can stand it. This is how things play out, though, I guess. I’ll go before someone notices and questions why you didn’t at least try to kill me this time. Take care of that cub or I’ll come back.”

She did not doubt he would. He would want to make sure she was doing okay and he would be curious about her cub. “I will. I got my mother to help.” She could do it with her parents by her side.

“I’d say tell her I said hi, but she doesn’t care for me much anymore. I miss her, though, especially her cooking. You know…” He looked at the sky and rubbed the center of his chest. “It hurts a bit…” Before she could say anything, he continued. “Bye, Innya,” he said and then he hopped off of the roof and he was gone.

“Bye, Taeyrin,” she whispered. She wanted to tell him it was not true that her mother did not care for him anymore, but that did not matter. She wanted to say her mother missed him, too, because she thought Innya needed a friend, but that did not matter. And that was why she did not say those things. They just did not matter. She wished she had said something because she never saw him again.

-8-8-8-8-

Eryna interrupted the story with a gasp. She put her hand over her mouth. “You… you didn’t know…”

Innya shrugged. “Everyone dies.” She had mourned Taeyrin a long time ago. The best she could do for him now was protect his cub and make sure she had the best life she could. 

“But, it isn’t fair. You guys sound close. You deserved to know,” Eryna said.

“I think everyone sitting here knows life’s not fair,” Innya replied.

That quieted Eryna. It was unfortunate Eryna was made aware of it at such a young age and it had been observation before experience. Neither was right for a child.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya climbed back to her bedroom and she thought about the transcendent. He seemed so distracted and distressed to her. She could see the worry in his bright yellow eyes. What could have him so troubled? He usually just went with the flow.

“When did our lives get so complicated? It seems like just yesterday I was trying to bite his throat out by a river with our fathers laughing a few feet away as he panicked and almost drowned,” she said. How had things gone so wrong? She could not figure it out and did not want to go down memory lane, not while she had a victory in her pocket.

It would be best if she just did not think about the little transcendent anymore unless she was thinking about killing him. That was all she could do now. She wished she could tell her parents he talked to her cub and he had nothing but kind words to say. She doubted they would take the news well, though. It was dangerous for her, and now her cub, to be around the transcendent.

“I have to do right by you,” Innya said, pressing her hand to her stomach. She would do right by this cub. It was not like she could count on the King to be a proper father, after all.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya enjoys her freedom until the cub decides to spoil her fun.


	8. Full Circle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.
> 
> A/N: some violence and such in this chapter.

8: Full Circle

Exercising her freedom, Innya went back to her parents’ house for breakfast the next day. Palace expectations were for her and the King to eat together, but she was done with royal expectations. She would spend every waking moment doing what she wanted to do from now on.

“We’ve got to make sure to get certain types of vegetables in you for the cub,” her mother said as she scrambled up some eggs with some of those vegetables. 

Innya did not argue. She was fully prepared to have her mother dictate what was to happen during her pregnancy. She did not know what she was doing and she would not pretend otherwise. Beyond that, she would welcome any food that was not raw meat and not rubbed down with hot spices.

“I suppose we can trust the doctor at the palace, but if he’s letting you eat raw meat, I might want a second opinion,” her mother continued.

“Whatever you think is best,” she replied, sipping some drink her mother put in front of her. It did not taste bad and her mother claimed it was good for the cub at this stage, so she drank it. “We both know I’m not going to do more than carry this cub.”

Her mother laughed. “I love that you think it’s so simple.”

Innya did not know what to say to that. It did not matter. Her mother slid what turned out to be an omelet, not scrambled eggs, in front of her. There were sausage patties as well, cooked to perfection. Her mother smiled as she sat across from Innya and watched her eat every bit of it.

“Has he given you anything for when the baby makes you sick?” her mother asked.

Innya arched an eyebrow. “There’s something for that?”

“He should tell you that.” Her mother squeezed the bridge of her nose. “I’m going to speak with him. He might not even be familiar with pregnant bitches. The King can’t be trusted with this sort of thing.”

Innya did not argue that. Hell, apparently she could not be trusted either. She did not know what to expect with a cub and did not know what she should ask the doctor.

“Slow down,” her mother said.

Innya was not sure what her mother meant until she looked down at her plate. She had already eaten half of her food. How? When?

“Should I just make you some more?” her mother asked.

“Please.” Innya smiled. Her mother would never understand how grateful she was for real food.

“And a haircut, maybe? Your hair is as long as mine. I almost didn’t recognize you yesterday.”

“Yes, please.”

There was more food and then a much needed haircut. Innya kept her mother company until her father returned. All the while, she debated with herself if she should tell her mother about the transcendent, which she decided against. Her mother would worry about the cub’s safety if she knew Taeyrin came and went as he pleased in her general direction. It was too dangerous, especially now.

And then her father came in and the air in the house seemed to come to life. She stared at him for a long moment and he stared back. It was their usual indifference and it was beautiful. They had been separated and paused, but not changed. Her mother grabbed them both and pulled them into a hug.

“Our family is whole again!” As expected, her mother broke into happy cries.

Innya and her father sucked their teeth, but that did not get her mother to let them go until she was ready to do so. None of them stepped away from each other, but they did not touch. Innya inhaled, trying to contain her joy. Her father’s eyes seemed to sparkle.

“Glad to have you back,” her father said.

“Glad to be back,” Innya replied. She had one more thing to do to prove she was back home, back to her life, and it would give her parents some time alone to discuss what it meant for her to be back.

Innya wanted to go test her skills to see if she was a bit rusty. She picked up her older sword from off of the sofa and threw it over her shoulder. Her parents watched her.

Her mother’s brow wrinkled. “You’re going to the Pit?” 

“I have to, Mom. Nobody wants to give me an assignment and I need to stay sharp,” Innya replied. She needed to build on herself to one day kill the King.

“But, the cub,” her mother protested with worry on her face. Her father looked at her mother and then at her, but they did not stop to explain it to him.

“Mom, I might be slower, but I couldn’t possibly be so slow that someone would be able to hurt my cub, okay?” If that was the case, she did not deserve the cub, as she clearly was a horrible protector. 

Her mother held up her hands in surrender. “Yes, that’s highly unlikely.”

“Then don’t worry, Mom. Your grandchild’s fine. I’ll even give you a round later if you’d like,” Innya said with a smirk. It would truly be like old times then.

With a laugh, her mother waved her off. “I’m getting too old to play around with you.”

“Dad?” Innya offered.

“I’ve been too old, Innya,” he replied.

Innya made a fist and held it up. “You two aren’t old. Fight me.”

Her father scoffed. “We’ll see when you get back and you’re all right. You know your mom will kill you if you come back and you hurt her grandchild.” He smiled, as if to let her know he was happy about the pregnancy.

“I don’t doubt that,” she replied. “Let Mom fill you in on the details about you both being grandparents. I’ll be back in a few hours.” She took off toward the Pit, running the whole time. 

Innya felt a surge of energy rocket through her when she stepped into the Pit and it danced down every nerve. The Pit was still a patch of dirt, muddy in parts, and smelled awful, but as she let the feeling settle, it was like homecoming. The noise and scent was so familiar, it was like heaven.

“It feels good to be back,” she said aloud, even though no one was paying any attention to her. 

She was not getting the attention she would have gotten months ago. Had the warriors forgotten all about her so soon? Worse, had they heard rumors of her and no longer feared and respected her? She would have to help them remember who she was and earn back her reputation. 

“I’m looking for a challenge!” Innya announced.

Many warriors turned to regard her and Innya smirked when some of them actually cowered at the sight of her. Other warriors gasped as if they thought that she had been dead or something equally outrageous. Then there were those who did not seem to care, which Innya did not like, so those would be the ones she would teach a lesson to and remind everyone who she was.

“What? Have I been gone too long? Are you thinking I just crawled out of my grave or something? What’s going on?” Innya inquired.

“Innya?” Her name was said as if they honestly thought she died. Maybe she had for a little while, but now she was back. Several warriors studied her, looking hard, sniffing in her direction, as if they wanted to test her to be sure she was not a ghost.

“The one and only,” she answered. “Now, I’m looking for a challenge. Give me somebody, anybody.”

“Oh, no,” a few people muttered. They shook their heads and then slowly faded into the background.

“Oh, come on. Any new fighters or something.” Innya pressed her hands together. She might be out of practice, but she did not think so. She had been struggling every day since she was taken to the palace. She wanted to see if she could use any of her new skills in a struggle that was not a scrap for her dignity. 

A large, young male stepped forward. Innya did not know him, had never seen him around. He was not so young he could not have heard of her, but it was possible he had never seen her in action and that was why he was so bold. 

Innya smirked at the boy while he scowled at her. He was one of those pretty boy types who probably thought very highly of himself. He had long, wavy blonde hair with crystal blue eyes. He was shirtless, showing off rippling, tanned muscles. Innya was not impressed, except with the sword he carried. She would break his fancy little weapon and then he would learn not to volunteer so quickly.

“Who are you?” Innya asked as she studied him. It was amazing at how many new people could show up in the few months she had been stuck in Hell.

“Just fight, old lady,” the boy replied.

“Okay.” Innya shrugged, but she was upset with being referred to as an old lady. Her mother was barely an old lady by Wolf standards. The kid would now be lucky if he lived through the fight. At least the new people would learn not to anger Innya before a battle.

Innya walked to the center of the Pit like she used to do and the crowd pretty much parted for her as they used to do. She unsheathed her sword and twirled it in her hand, disregarding the scabbard to the side. The pretty boy was not impressed with her either, watching her with bored eyes. He had a lesson ahead of him.

“C’mon,” he urged Innya with a wave of his hand.

Innya obliged him without any words. She charged him and he blocked her sword, which she wanted him to do. She smirked and forced him back to show him how strong she was. He gasped and she attacked again. He had to block her sword to avoid losing his head. He could hardly inhale that time, shocked by her speed. She kicked him in the chest while he still guarded his head and that sent him flying back several yards. 

He growled as he righted himself in midair and landed safely. He foolishly charged back over to her. She shook her head and sidestepped his attack. Fighting with the King was much more fun and had added to her speed, but she did not like the price of that fight. She tripped the boy as he went by. He fell flat on his face.

“Get up. We’re not done yet,” Innya said.

He growled and grumbled swear words in her direction as he climbed to his feet. He held his sword in front of him, showing his readiness to block any attack she came with, if she wanted him to see the attack anyway. She went for his head again and he barely blocked in time. He tried to force her back, but she stepped away and allowed his momentum to throw him off balance. He stumbled and, as he turned, he saw her blade coming at him at an alarming speed. He blocked it in time. Her sword cut through his like scissors cut through paper. Her sword was old, but the smith who crafted it always boasted it was the best he had ever done and he was not wrong. The boy gasped in shock.

Innya scrunched up her face, like she was sorry. “Oh, that’s too bad there.”

“My sword,” the pretty boy whined. His bottom lip trembled.

“Are you going to cry now?” she asked, poking out her lip.

“I’ll kill you!”

That sounded promising, but Innya still wanted to laugh as he charged over to her. She sidestepped him again and turned to slice him across the back. He hollered in pain and she shook her head as blood dripped down his back. 

The pretty boy faced Innya again. He was breathing hard, glaring at her, and baring his rather long fangs at her. His eyes glistened, wet with frustrated tears. She might have been the first person to ever actually cut his flawless, bronze skin. Now, he had a “scratch” to remember her by.

“Whore,” he growled.

“Bad boy,” Innya said as she pointed her blade at his throat. “Very bad boy. You have two choices, youngster. I can kill you right now before you really upset me or you can apologize for what you just said.”

“Apologize?” he scoffed, as if she was the one being unreasonable. It was like he knew her mother and knew a person was not supposed to apologize for anything they did if they thought it was the best decision to make. Of course, this was far from a good decision for him.

“You can apologize for calling me a whore and an old lady. I mean, you do know that stupidity is the major reason most warriors don’t live to see a hundred. Trying my patience would be another reason.”

He sucked his teeth. “Yeah, right.”

Innya respected him for standing by what he said and done, but it could not be the best decision he ever made in his life. She looked at him and figured she would do him a favor. He was too arrogant to live a long life and be useful to anyone, so she would save people the trouble of having to put up with him anymore.

“I think I have to reestablish my presence here if I can’t get an apology. I’ll start with you.” Innya cut her opponent’s head off before anyone even noticed that she moved. What she had done registered to everyone when his head hit the ground and she was cleaning her sword off with his pants leg. They gasped. She turned to the crowd and smirked at them. “Guess who’s back.”

There were some warriors who were glad Innya had returned, clapping and smiling as they crowded around her. Innya was the best way for many to improve, especially since she did not mind teaching as long as people were respectful. Of course, she was great to get a good workout. Fighting her usually was a life or death matter and one either gave her their all or died, unless she took a liking to the person. If Innya thought a person was useful as a warrior and they fought her, she usually did not kill the person no matter what. It was hard to convince her of that, but not impossible.

The only time everybody stayed away from Innya was when she was upset. They all were very aware that fighting her then was just suicide. A few warriors had even committed suicide that way, taking it as a honorable death.

“I do need more practice against the sword.” A couple of warriors shrugged and approached Innya. 

Innya smiled. “Show me what you got.” With luck, it would be fun. 

-8-8-8-8-

Innya went back home after a good workout. Her parents were on the couch, huddled close and talking. She left them alone for a moment, going out back to wash up. Once she was clean, she went to sit with her parents. Her mother grabbed her up and held her against her side, like she was a child. She allowed it.

“Did Mom tell you, Dad?” Innya asked.

“About the cub, yes. She also told me we’re now welcomed at the palace if we decide to go,” her father replied and rolled his eyes.

Innya smiled. “You can, but I plan to be here every day. I don’t want you to have a reason to ever go there.” She never wanted them to have to encounter the King.

“We look forward to seeing you.” He rubbed her head. “Now, your mother was saying something about a feast for the neighborhood.”

Innya chuckled. “That’s her idea.”

“We have to celebrate!” Her mother clapped her hands and her eyes sparkled like precious stones. “Our cub is back and we’re going to be grandparents. We have to do it grand, big, just so loving and amazing. I want everyone to leave full and happy.”

Her father nodded. “That’s a compelling argument. We could all use the merriment. And advice from elders on how to be grandparents. I’m too old to be involved with a cub.”

“You two need to stop. You’re not old and you know I need all the help I can get with this cub.” At that, her mother hugged her.

“Oh, Innie! This is so exciting. I never thought you’d have a cub, so I didn’t think I’d have a chance to be a grandmother. We’ll all get this great experience!” Her mother grinned and bounced, like she was set to explode. Of course she was overjoyed about this. That was fine for Innya. It made her feel better when she decided to be indifferent to the matter.

Her father leaned in, as if to share a secret with her. “Don’t worry. We’re all going to screw this up.”

Innya could not believe he said that. “Dad!”

“Chinto!” Her mother slapped his shoulder. “Don’t even put that out there. We’re all going to do fine because we have each other.”

Innya nodded. She could firmly get behind that. Even if her parents had not known what they were doing when they had her, they had her and now they had experience. She should learn from their experience. That was how it was supposed to work.

-8-8-8-8-

It took a few days, but Innya’s mother threw her celebration for the entire neighborhood. Several people helped her with the cooking, but much of the goods were purchased by her family and then carried to their street. It was more than food items and things to cook.

There were fireworks and other noisemakers. Musicians showed up, playing for food. There were toys for young children and gifts for older ones. A lot of teens had questions for Innya, taking note of her absence more than most apparently.

“What’s it like on the Hill?” That was the main question. No one in her neighborhood could imagine life as a noble. Too bad she did not have much information to pass on.

“Extravagant,” she replied. “To the point of disgust.” On the Hill, Wolves lived like they could throw away any and everything and just get more. Meanwhile, in her neighborhood, they would be talking about this gathering for years to come because it was the most they ever had.

“Why hasn’t the King named you Queen? You’re awesome!” Apparently, a lot of the youngsters admired her and her body count. It was an impressive body count and they did not even know about all the bodies.

“I doubt he’ll ever name a queen.” The King had the right to withhold the title from her, even though they were married. It had not started out as a marriage of equals, so she had not been entitled to the title. Now, he could name her queen if he wanted, but that would mean sharing power. He would never do that.

“While you’re here, can you show us…” The teens all requested different moves. She had no problem demonstrating and setting them up for them to try. She also got a lot of offers for a babysitter from the group. She declined, which they understood. Any Wolf parent looking to show their worth and keep their dignity, they raised their own cub. Yes, help was acceptable, but she would never need so many babysitters. 

The celebration went on all day. It was perfect. When she returned to the palace, well after midnight, the King waited for her at the gate. He did not say anything to her and she did not say anything to him. He had a right to check on her. She had his cub, but that did not mean she was not annoyed. She would just work it out tomorrow at the Pit.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya trained all the way up until the end of her pregnancy, despite her mother advising her not to and the King’s attempts to order her not to do so. She was at the Pit when she went into labor, which she filed away in her mind as the second worst experience in her life for a few years; she lumped all of her rapes together as the worst experience of her life. One of the warriors at the Pit wisely fetched Innya’s parents after she complained of pains, but had refused to leave. Another warrior retrieved the King, who picked Innya up like she weighed nothing.

Innya was carried off to the palace using words her parents did not approve of to express her pure fury at her cub’s horrible timing. She still had an hour left in her workout schedule. How dare the cub interfere with that! _I’m training to get us the hell out of here, permanently. Who’s side are you on, kid?_ And then pain ripped through her system and that seemed to answer her question. She glared at her husband as he placed her in her bed and servants rushed in and out of the room.

The King seemed to know she would have attacked him because her condition was his fault, but she could not get enough people off of her to go after him. She tried her best, though. He stepped away, hovering by the door. The midwife and her mother eventually shooed him out entirely. While Innya did not have someone to focus her fury on, she was still pretty pissed.

Innya was beyond angry for almost six hours, by then as her temper calmed, she realized that she was having a cub and… here was the revelation, it hurt! Having a cub was serious, real agony. Who knew? Why the hell did women do this more than once?

“Get this thing out of me!” Innya ordered the midwife and attendants around, not to mention her own mother.

“Innya, calm down. The doctor’s mixing something for the pain,” her mother said. That turned out to be crap. The drink did not stop any of the pain. 

That did not give her great confidence in the doctor delivering the baby. She did not feel any better when she was made to get up and walk around, but since the midwife assured her it would help deliver the baby, she accepted it. Had the doctor said it, she would have clawed his face off. But, after a while, walking around did not seem to be helping either.

“Can we just cut it out?” Innya wailed. She was so tired it hurt to hold her damn tail up. Maybe she could cut it off.

“Just a little more,” her mother assured her. She was not wrong.

Innya was ready to rip her own stomach open by the time the cub was born. She had never been so relieved in her life than when the cub was out of her body and she could relax. She doubted she would ever in her life be so thankful to just be able to lie down in her bed. She fell back onto her pillow and sighed in relief. She was glad her mother was there and had helped deliver her a healthy baby boy, but she really wished it took less than twelve damn hours.

“Here.” Her mother tried to hand Innya the cub. Innya did not even feel strong enough to lift her arms, so holding the cub right then was out of the question.

“No, hold onto him for just a second,” Innya replied.

“Don’t you want him?” her mother asked with a grin and a wink.

“Of course, I just want to catch my breath beforehand and not drop him.” That would not be the best way to start off a mother-son relationship.

Her mother smiled at her. “Oh, you mean the great killer is actually tired? My cub who used to stay up for weeks at a time to train is tired?” 

Innya growled at her mother as best she could, which was not that great, considering the fact that she had just been in labor for about twelve hours. Contractions alone felt like they shook her apart, never mind the actual birthing. Her mother laughed at her and then turned to coo at her grandson. Innya blew out a birth. Wow. _Never again_.

“You are so precious,” her mother whispered to the baby.

The King poked his head into the room. “I don’t hear screaming and cursing anymore.” He stepped into the room while most of the other people began leaving. They bowed their heads as they passed the King, but he was not paying them any mind. Innya’s father ducked in, having left the room for both of their sakes, going under the King’s arm, and was in her mother’s face to see the baby.

“No, she’s all done ordering the cub out of her body. You have a son,” her mother replied as she glanced at Innya. Innya was ready to pass out, but she wanted to hold the cub beforehand.

“A son? Does he have two tails?” the King inquired because having two tails would prove that the cub was his heir.

“Yes, two lovely silver tails.”

“My heir,” the King gasped as if he was surprised. The whole point of having Innya was to produce an heir. Maybe he had not expected the pure silver tails. Two tails were usually the sign of the heir, but silver tails were special. There were tons of myths around Wolves with silver tails. She hoped their cub lived up to the legends. The King himself had two black tails with silver sprinkled throughout. She would raise her cub to be better than the King, just like his tails implied.

“Would you like to name him?” her mother asked, obviously caught up in the excitement. She knew better.

Innya interjected before the King could open his mouth, “He can’t name my cub. He no longer has the right.”

Her mother’s eyebrows shot up to the top of her hairline. “Oh, yes, that’s right.” She looked at her tiny newborn grandson and rocked him. Innya’s father flicked his fingers in the baby’s face, but the baby did not react.

Her mother handed the cub to Innya. She was too weak, or so she thought, but she held onto the cub with every ounce of strength that she could muster. She would be damned if the King touched her cub before she did.

“You told her?” the King asked Innya. He meant his affair with Ashti and how it took away any father privileges, like naming his son, unless Innya decided otherwise. She would not allot him any of those privileges, unless her son showed some interest in him having them. He was just lucky he had married her or else she and her son would be living with her parents right now, and everyone probably would have been happier for it.

“She’s my mother. I tell her everything,” Innya answered. She doubted he had that relationship with his parents, but they had been dead before she was born, so she could not speak to it.

He glared down at her. “My business stays in the palace.”

“As if we care about your business,” Innya replied. She turned to her mother. “Mom, you can name the cub.” Her mother’s face lit up and her father smiled at both of them.

“A commoner name my heir? Ridiculous!” the King bellowed and threw his massive hand out.

“Don’t shout. You’ll scare the cub,” her mother scolded the King. Her mother was a bold woman, but Innya would expect no less now that her mother had a grandson.

“Mom, go ahead. Please, name the cub because you’re the one that always wanted a grandchild and you’ve walked me through this pregnancy step by step to make sure he was healthy and strong. You cooked every single meal he and I enjoyed. You always made sure I got proper rest and you even spent a bunch of money to buy me those expensive, soft socks because ‘an expecting mother has a right to be comfort,’ even when Dad had a fit. I think it’s only fair you get to name him,” Innya explained.

“Innya…” Her mother was actually speechless. Innya was overriding the King’s decision and she wanted to bestow on her mother the honor of naming the heir to the throne of the Wolf tribe. Innya would probably be speechless in such a situation also, but she really felt her mother deserved it.

“Go ahead, Mom,” Innya urged her.

“My grandson must be called Tonotec if anything at all,” her mother decided.

“I agree,” Innya concurred. She thought her mother would go with that name, especially after seeing the silver tails.

“Why?” the King inquired, shaking his head.

Her mother looked at the King with wide eyes. “You mean you don’t know the legend?” 

“What legend?”

“Innya, I’m stunned you never told him your favorite legend,” her mother said. It was Innya’s favorite legend, but it was a lot of warriors’ favorite legend and it was kind of popular, so the King should have known about it. Her mother used to tell it to her as a bedtime story.

“I don’t really talk to him,” Innya replied.

“Then I’ll tell him the legend, so he can appreciate the name,” Innya’s mother said and turned her attention directly to the King. “Tonotec was the greatest assassin to ever roam the land many, many lifetimes ago. He killed so swiftly that blood didn’t run from his victims until he was long gone. He was the first Wolf to ever kill a high ranked transcendent. The transcendent never even saw him coming, didn’t even sense him coming. He trained in his art so hard, put his body through so much for strength that his hair turned silver, as did his tail. He was well respected and feared throughout the whole tribe, even by the king at the time. He killed every type of being with ease, even powerful transcendents. He eventually grew bored with killing because it was so easy. 

“He set on a quest to simply find a new challenge and met it in the form of a transcendent bitch of all people. He wanted to pass through her land, but she refused him unless he could do a task for her. All she wanted him to do was move her to get past her. He thought such a thing wouldn’t be hard as she was only a small bitch. For days, he tried to move her, but he got nowhere. He admitted failure after months of struggling and that stunned her, so she admitted to tricking him with her magic. She had put a spell on him that made it so that he couldn’t move when he touched her, so it wasn’t that he couldn’t move her, but he couldn’t move at all. Whenever he released her, it was actually her stepping out of his grip and allowing him to move once more. 

“Instead of being angry, he married the bitch because he figured any bitch who could trick him and use a spell on him for months without him knowing would be the perfect wife to keep him challenged and she did. Supposedly any Wolf with powerful magic in him is one of his descendants.”

The King’s face was blank. Most warriors liked the legend as it encouraged everyone to always push to get better, push to the limit and beyond, but also make sure to be humble and open to new things or end up blind and bound to those new challenges. They all wanted to be like the legendary assassin. They all desired to be the best of the best. It was a tale that preached the idea of always looking for a challenge or end up useless and warriors hated the idea of being useless. Hell, not many Wolves in general liked the idea of being useless and passed the tale along.

-8-8-8-8-

“Wow, your mother really nailed that one, huh?” Eryna said as she glanced at her sister.

Innya shrugged. “It was like she saw into the future. Or maybe even the legend saw into the future. No one knows if the story’s true, but Tonotec seemed to go out of his way to make it so.”

“Not really out of his way,” Etayay said.

“No way is out of the way?” Eryna asked. That did sound like some nonsense Etayay would utter and then not understand why the rest of them did not understand.

“No, he was put on that path,” Etayay replied, which was not a lie. “It sounds very much like the stars aligned for us to all be here.”

Innya would have called that nonsense a couple of decades ago, but life proved otherwise. Eryna nodded and turned her attention back to Innya. 

-8-8-8-8-

“You want to name my cub, my heir after a Wolf that was tricked and laid with a filthy transcendent bitch?” the King asked with a snarl. He glowered at Innya’s mother, who could not be less bothered if she tried.

“You missed the whole point. Tonotec was such a skilled assassin, so untouchable, so unsatisfied as a warrior that he had to quit his chosen profession to look for more meaningful work. He needed a challenge and when he got it, he accepted there was even more to learn. The tale is to tell you to always look for a challenge and never settle. You should always push yourself to be the best at what you do and always remember there’s more to learn. This cub will always need a challenge or he’ll grow bored and spoiled. Boredom’s the enemy. He must learn to always search for the challenge, always search to be better, and to always learn from every experience,” Innya replied and she had to struggle to not call her husband an idiot.

“So, he will be Tonotec?” her mother inquired with sparkles in her eyes.

“It’s a must and your wish, Mom. Welcome to the world, Tonotec,” Innya said to her son, who slept soundly against her chest.

“I don’t believe this,” the King grumbled, shaking his head.

“Well, you could’ve named the cub, but you chose to do other things. My parents are going to stay here for a while,” Innya informed the King at that moment just to help ruin his day a little more.

“What?” he bellowed again and threw his hands out.

“Highness, the cub’s sleeping,” her mother scolded the King again. Innya wanted to tell her husband to watch out because her mother had fast hands and he would be slapped before he even knew she moved. But, that would be helping him and she did not want to help him in any way.

“Look, they raised me from when I was a cub and I don’t know what I’m doing. I need some help with this, some advice. I never wanted a cub, but he’s here now. You act like you know what to do with a cub,” Innya remarked.

The King could only grunt. He did not have a clue what to do with a cub. He left the room quietly while Innya’s mother fussed over both her daughter and grandson. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya’s crash course in parenting.


	9. New Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, do not use my characters without my permission.

9: New Life

Innya did not like all of the mothering she got while in bed after giving birth, even though she was quite glad her mother was there. After all, she had no idea what to do with a newborn. She never wanted any of this. There was so much to do and she did not know where to start.

“Ready to hold him again?” her mother asked.

For all Innya’s not wanting children, she was very eager to hold her own. “If you can pry him away from Dad.”

Her father clutched Tonotec to his chest, whispering fighting strategies to him. She was pleased her father was interested in the baby, as the King did not seem to be. The King got a good look at Tonotec, checked on his health, and then took his leave. Innya was not sad to see him go.

“Chinto, give him to me,” her mother ordered.

Her father actually pouted. She had never seen anything like it. Her mother laughed.

“He was the same with you when you were a baby. Sometimes, he acted like you only belonged to him,” her mother said.

Her father shook his head. “I was only trying to let your mother rest. You took so much out of her when you were born.” 

Innya could only imagine. She wanted to sleep right now, but before that, she wanted to hold Tonotec. She put her arms up as best she could and her father eased the baby down to her. He was so pale and bald. He was tiny, but had not felt that way while she carried him or gave birth to him. He felt huge then.

Innya did not last much longer after that. Her mother gave her some warm, bitter concoction and she was sure it put her to sleep. It was one of the best sleeps of her life.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya was glad her strength had returned to her the next day and she assumed it had something to do with the drink her mother gave her. She was not sure what possessed her to think she could go to the Pit, but she tried to go as if she was the same person as she had been a couple of days ago. No, she was a mother now, but that had not occurred to her until her mother stopped her.

“Sweetie, you can’t go to the Pit,” Innya’s mother told her when she saw Innya putting on her usual gear.

Innya arched an eyebrow. “Why not?” 

Her mother shook her head. “Oh, Innie. One word, Tonotec.” She glanced over at the sleeping cub, tucked away cozy in the bassinet. “You’re responsible for a cub now. You aren’t as free as you once were. Your time is also his time. You can’t just go to the Pit anymore.”

It made sense to Innya yet she still said, “No?” _Did I always just assume Mom would take care of the cub and I could go about my business?_ She never took the time to imagine what would happen once the cub came. _Might be time to start thinking about that. Tonotec is your responsibility, not your mother’s_.

Her mother gave her a stern look. “No, of course not, Innya. Use your brain, sweetie.”

Innya sighed, shoulders dropping. “I suppose not.” She stepped over to Tonotec, watching him snooze. Her heart melted at the sight. He was such a little guy. _Was I smaller than he is as a baby since I’m so small now?_

“He comes before anything,” her mother replied. Her mother stepped next to her and put her arm around Innya. 

“I know, Mom.” Innya scratched the bridge of her nose. She would tear the world apart to protect that cub. She would do everything in her power to make sure his life was good. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I just wanted to get some practice in because I need to stay sharp for him.” No, it was just slow to dawn on her that her entire world was different now and she was not resentful of it as she had been the last time her life changed forever. She would do anything for this baby. _Is this how Mom and Dad feel about me?_ She better understood her parents already.

Her mother clapped her on the shoulder. “Innya, trust me on this one, you’ll never be so rusty you cannot protect your cub. You should spend some time with him. You’ll both appreciate it, even if he’s only a day old.” She smiled, knowledge and experience twinkling in her eyes.

 _She’s passing on wisdom_. “All right,” Innya said and she went to change into more comfortable clothes.

Innya was not sure why her mother would suggest such a thing since Tonotec was sleeping, but pulled the bassinet close to her bed and Innya sat down on. She watched him sleep for nearly an hour. She liked watching her baby. The sight of him alone made her feel good. Silently, she promised him the world.

The feeling did not surprise her, even though she had not wanted cubs. The lengths her parents went through for her, to make her who she was today, and to surrender her to the King to make sure she did not die, let her know what parents felt for children. She ran her hand down Tonotec’s arm.

“I would tear this whole place down for you,” she said. And she would wait if that was what he desired.

He cooed and wiggled in his sleep and her heart skipped a beat. He almost freed himself from his blanket around him. She was not sure why, but she fixed the blanket as best she could, making sure he was bundled up tight. Then, she returned to sitting on her bed, watching.

“Who will you be when you get older, Tonotec?” she asked the air. She imagined he would be like her, but deadlier. She would teach him everything she knew and then push him so much further. _You’ll never meet a transcendent you can’t stop_. He would never meet a challenge he could not overcome.

Tonotec woke up screaming at the top of his lungs and she jumped back, throwing her arms out to the side. _What’s wrong? What’s wrong? What’s wrong?_ She scanned him. He could be wounded… somehow, from his nap… She did not know. He looked fine, but his hollering suggested otherwise. And where did her mother disappear when she was supposed to be helping? 

“You’re not hurt. How could you be? You’ve just been lying here,” Innya said like he could answer her.

Innya lifted her son up into her arms carefully. Her mother told her to be very careful of his head and make sure to support his head when she held him. She tried to inspect him for injuries more closely now, shifting him a bit as she did so. She had to unwrap him from his white blanket to check where he might be hurt. That seemed like the only logical reason for him to be crying while he instinctively grabbed for his mother’s breast. She groaned as she figured out another logical reason for him to cry.

“Please, Tonotec, be anything but hungry,” she begged, but that did not sway him.

 _He’s going to have to eat sometime_. There was probably a wet nurse around. She had not fed him since giving birth to him and that was a day. He could not have managed that long with no food. Of course, she had not been awake most of the day after she gave birth, so she had no idea what went on.

As Innya sought help, she found herself alone. _Damn it, Mom_. How was she still being taught with the “sink or swim” technique in adulthood? 

Innya frowned as she sat down on her bed. “Fine, but each time I have to go through this, it’s going to cost you in the future, Tonotec.”

Innya had to shift Tonotec into one arm and rested him against her shoulder. She shrugged her free arm out of her shirt and lifted her shirt up. Tonotec practically attacked her exposed breast as soon as he saw it. She held in a wince as he latched on. Innya squirmed as he suckled. It was weird, slightly uncomfortable. He seemed to know what he was doing more than she did. At least no one was around to see.

“Are you blushing, Innie?” Her mother grinned at her as she entered the room. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“So says you,” Innya replied in a grumble. Her mother was not the one sitting with a six-pound ornament hanging from her chest. Innya did not think she was prepared for this responsibility. What if she did something stupid and injured her baby?

Her mother shook her head. “It’s only natural, Innya. How else do you expect the little guy to get food? He couldn’t very well go out and catch a rabbit, could he? I wondered if you’d figure this one out for yourself and if you’d have to be forced.”

Innya scowled at her mother. “I couldn’t very well let my cub starve, could I?”

“Obviously, but you are who you are and I know how you get. You’re actually pretty modest.”

“Just because I don’t like to show off my body doesn’t mean I’m modest.” No one needed to see her body as it added to the mystery in fighting her. No one knew how muscular or lean she was beyond her arms. And she showed her arms mostly because sleeves had irritated her skin in the past.

Her mother rubbed her chin. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t have been comfortable enough to do it because it’s so foreign to you.”

“You left me on purpose, didn’t you?” Innya asked and it almost sounded like she was whining she realized when it was too late to stop talking.

Her mother shrugged, as if it was no big deal. “What better way for you to learn than from hands on experience? It’ll help you see it’s not as strange as you think it is. I’m not going to be here forever to help. I might not even be here at the end of the day.”

Innya arched an eyebrow and tried to avoid wiggling as Tonotec nibbled her. His little gums hurt. “Why do you say that?”

“Chinto’s upsetting the King.”

“What’s Dad doing?” Innya asked. If anything, she thought her mother would be the one to annoy the King and have them kicked out. Her mother seemed to like reprimanding the King.

“He’s beating the King at chess.” That would explain why she had not seen her father around.

“Sore loser.” Innya knew that for a fact.

Her mother chuckled. “Very much so.”

Innya shook her head as her mother came over to the bed, caressed the top of Innya’s head and Tonotec’s head before she sat at the foot of the bed. Innya smiled at her mother and her mother smiled back. A few seconds later, her mother turned her attention to straightening up around the room, or pretending to. Innya relaxed a bit since her mother was no longer staring at her and watching her feed Tonotec.

Innya had questions about this whole thing—parenthood, breastfeeding, all of it. But, she could not bring herself to ask about it. There was silence for a while, but her mother seemed against living in silence when in Innya’s presence. 

“I met the blonde,” her mother said as she milled about the room, eyes always focused on something other than Innya.

“Ashti?” Innya asked, as if there was another blonde running around the palace. Although, with her husband, there probably were several blondes all over the estate and they just had not happened across those yet. She would not go looking. 

“Yes.” Her mother blew out an exhausted breath that said it all. “She’s one annoying bitch. I might actually be dumber from having conversed with her.”

“That is a possibility.” Apparently, stupidity was a leisure for the wealthy and elite. There was no way Ashti would have survived in the main village, not to adulthood anyway. 

Her mother rubbed her forehead. “How can you even stand to live in the same area as her?”

“That’d be why I’m on this side of the estate and she’s on that side. I haven’t seen her much since I gained my freedom. If I deal with her for too long, I’d kill her. I don’t even think I’d realize it. My hand would have a life of its own and her head would suddenly no longer be attached to her body. I’d only notice because the noise would have stopped.” She could not risk breaking her deal with the King.

Her mother nodded. “I can understand that. Is he going to marry her?”

“He certainly likes her enough and I’m sure she wouldn’t care if she was a second wife. She adores him for some reason. I’m guessing she suffered a violent blow to the head and, unfortunately, survived to be stupid and worship the ground he walks on.”

Her mother laughed. “So many goals in her life.”

“Yes, but do we really care?”

“No, not really. It’s just funny to talk about.”

“I suppose.” Innya sighed.

“What’s wrong?” her mother asked, still not looking at her.

“Nothing. It’s just I always had this little hope of getting an assignment one day, but now…” Innya trailed off and sighed again. It was fantasy, anyway. Her assignments probably ceased to exist right after her marriage. She had stopped being anything once she married the King and belonged to him. Gaining her freedom had given her a life again, but still there were things she would probably never recover.

It did not matter now. There was no way she could go anywhere. She didn’t have a partner to trust Tonotec with if she went anywhere. Her parents might watch him, but only for short assignments. Innya would never be able to seek the Book or Taeyrin ever again.

Her mother gave her a sad smile before going back to tidying up things that did not require it. “Don’t think about it too much. The assignments lately aren’t even worth your time. I went on an assignment just a few weeks ago and it took me longer to get there than to kill the five targets I had and retrieve an item. These were skilled targets, too, and I’m old.”

Innya scoffed. “You are not old, Mom.” Her mother needed to stop saying that.

“Passed middle-aged if I make it to a hundred,” she replied.

“Mom…” Innya was not sure if her mother was serious, but she did not like to think of her mother dead, even if it was decades from now.

Her mother waved the whole matter off. “You’ll like being a mother. I know it seems overwhelming, but it’s a fantastic challenge.”

Innya frowned, but she did not reply. She had never desired to be a mother. _Can’t get around it now, but hopefully, I don’t start acting like Mom_. She loved her mother with whatever heart she had, but she did not want to behave like her mother. Her mother was too emotional and at times too friendly for Innya’s taste. Not to mention, her mother was a nag. She nagged Innya to her knees sometimes. Innya did not want to turn into her mother.

“We gotta figure this out,” Innya whispered to Tonotec, who did not pay her any mind.

-8-8-8-8-

“Look at how big my little warrior already is!” Innya’s father picked Tonotec out of his bassinet. Tonotec was barely a week old. She was not sure where her father saw this new “big.”

“He’s hardly the size of a loaf of bread, even though he eats like he’s hollow,” Innya replied, sorting through different outfits Tonotec had received from nobles, trying to gain favor with an heir too young to sit up. Most of it was too decedent for her taste. She would take many of the outfits into the village and see what could be done with them.

“Speaking of eating, we have to make sure you do that,” her mother said, helping with the sorting. “I have to go talk to the palace chef. I swear, if he sends another servant with raw meat to us, I’m going to go eat him.”

Innya’s father rocked Tonotec. “I’ve spoken to the King about that. How Innya needs a better diet.”

“I can imagine how that went over,” Innya said.

Her father puffed out his chest and threw his shoulders back to mimic the King. “‘The doctor has informed me that what I’m serving Innya is fine. I won’t have my heir harmed.’” He rolled his eyes. “He hasn’t even been by to see Tonotec since he was born.”

“No, he probably thinks you’re very odd for wanting to be around Tonotec,” her mother said.

“I have to influence him early. I learned from Innya if I don’t get in there as soon as possible, your fighting style rubs off on the cub.”

Her mother laughed. “Or maybe my style is superior.”

Her father gasped. “Don’t listen to any of this nonsense, Tonotec!” He left the bedroom, going to walk the hallway. 

“Look at all of this silk. Who dresses their newborn cub in silk?” Her mother shook her head.

“The wealthy. We should take this down into the neighborhood.”

“Yes. This is also way too much clothing for him. We can get things mended for when he’s older. We should also set up his nursery in the room next to yours. Or would you rather across?”

“I think next to would be fine for him as a baby. When he’s older and a little more independent, we’ll move him across or down the hall depending on how it works out. Have you already planned out the room?”

Her mother smiled at her. “Well, it wasn’t like you were going to do it.”

Innya frowned. “I didn’t think about it. I thought he’d stay in my room until he was old enough to talk or something.”

“It’s done, but you have the space for him to have his own room. He might learn to be independent faster or you might worry yourself and end up sleeping in his room with him or letting him sleep in your room.”

Innya chuckled. “All of those, huh?”

“Your father did it, too, so it’s not just me being sentimental.”

Innya laughed, but seeing her father with Tonotec, she could see him bringing her into their room when she was a baby. She could also see him sleeping in her room with her. It was nice to see this side of her father, to learn he grew with her, he adapted to her. She would do the same with Tonotec.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya eased into her role as a mother rather quickly, which should have been creepy, but it felt right for her. Her parents were very helpful. Her mother fought battles over her meals, getting several older women servants on her side to harass the main chef. He hated her mother, but the feeling was very mutual. Her father spent a lot of time with the King, trying to give him advice on fatherhood. Of course that dolt did not listen, but her father tried and that meant the world. He wanted Tonotec to have a good father.

Beyond that, her parents coached her on taking care of Tonotec. It was like when they taught her to fight. They chimed in when necessary, answered her questions whenever she managed to ask them, showed her if she could not quite get a handle on something, and left her to figure things out on her own if they felt she did not need correction.

So far, motherhood was not as difficult or scary as Innya imagined. Tonotec only ate, slept, and cried his head off when he was deprived of one of his two hobbies. She could handle his crying since it served a purpose, even though there were times she thought he was trying to make her go deaf.

Innya decided long before she had given birth to Tonotec that she would make sure her cub was better than she was. By better, she did not mean a better assassin, even though that was part of her goal. He would be better than she was at controlling his emotions. If he was ever separated from her for months as she had been from her mother, he would not even think to grab her into a tight emotional embrace. He would never even think to call her “mommy,” even if it was by accident. He would not be so dependent on her that her absence crippled him, so she hoped him having the nursery would help him learn in dependence.

-8-8-8-8- 

“You’re bathing him?” Innya’s mother asked as she stepped into the nursery. She had a tray in her arms, which was probably dinner for them.

“Yes, he’s covered in the fruit paste I gave him.” While Tonotec was now old enough to try mashed foods, his main substance still came from her. He was not a fan of the mashed foods either.

Her mother looked at her. “You’re also covered in fruit paste.”

“Because he likes to throw.” She enjoyed bathing him, but not after every meal.

“You used to spit. It was awful. Have you seen your father? He’s not in our room and I’m not about to go hunt for him on the King’s side of the palace.” Technically, her mother was not allowed on the King’s side of the palace anymore, not after what she did to the chef. But, he would heal, so her mother did not take the ban too seriously. Also, it was hard to take it seriously when the King had not really punished her for it, recognizing her mother’s importance in the upbringing of his heir. 

“I think Dad is tormenting the King again with chess. I think that’s going to end badly one day,” Innya replied.

“Your father probably wants that. He’ll die a legend. The Wolf the King murdered because he couldn’t win a single chess match against him. I can already see dozens of warriors taking up chess in his honor.”

“Oh, that would happen, wouldn’t it?” That would be her father’s legacy and he would love it.

“Oh, yes. The fact that the King would never be able to live it down would only add to it for him.” Her mother moved to their usual meal spot.

Innya finished up with Tonotec while her mother set up their meal in a clear space on the floor. She sat down with her mother with a happy, clean Tonotec. There was tea, bread, steaming vegetables with mixed rice, and roasted fowl for them.

Just as her mother was pouring tea for all of them, her father came in. He greeted her mother with a kiss, mussed Innya’s hair, and rubbed Tonotec’s forehead with his thumb. They sat down and had a family dinner. This was how they took all of their meals.

-8-8-8-8-

When Innya was not busy with Tonotec, she spent much of her time training in the garden. Sometimes, her father joined her. Her mother would watch Tonotec at those times. And then, other times, her mother would join her and her father had time to bond with Tonotec.

While she had never imagined herself a mother, now that she was, Innya found it quite nice. Occasionally, she dreamed of raising Tonotec down in the village, in her parents’ house with them. Taeryin would be there, teaching Tonotec goofy transcendent tricks as a way to train him on how to fight magic. Sometimes, she thought of Taeyrin having a cub of his own and their cubs could be friends, giving their odd connection a third generation for people to eye strangely. It was a nice dream, but only a dream.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya was practically the sole parent of Tonotec, which she expected and preferred. Yes, her parents helped, but grandparents were not parents. Tonotec might not know the difference now and she hoped it never impeded his development to not have his idiot father around.

The King did not come to what she and her parents designated as “her side” of the palace very often and when he did, he was there to see her for whatever reason, not their cub. Innya did not desire Tonotec to pick up any of the King’s traits. He was fine without a father if that was the father fate dealt him.

“I wish you would’ve gotten a better father, though, Tonotec,” Innya said to him just as she managed to shove the King out of her space. He had been trying to convince her to come have dinner with him and Ashti. She would rather jump into a raging river. 

Tonotec was on his nursery floor, gnawing on a doll. He made a noise, almost as if he understood. Innya chuckled and ran her fingers through curly hair flowing down his hair. He had come a long way from the bald blob he was not too long ago.

“Having a good dad is amazing. But, you’ll have my dad there for you and he should be good enough. He’ll keep up with you much better than the King,” she said.

The King never asked about Tonotec, even when he came to bother her over things. Innya never offered the King reports on how their cub. If he did not ask, he obviously did not want to know. Her parents were there for everything, though, cheerleading Tonotec like he was the greatest thing ever. And, she could not call them on that because she was the same. Just, in a more controlled manner, than say her mother, who screamed every single time Tonotec did something new.

“He’s blowing bubbles with his spit!” Her mother ran around the nursery around holding Tonotec in the air for almost a half-hour. _This woman really deserved more babies_.

-8-8-8-8-

Time went by. The King still did not seem interested in Tonotec’s life. Innya did not tell the King when their cub took his first steps, nor did she inform the King when Tonotec said his first word. The King found out what the little guy was capable of much later on when the surprise had worn off.

The King discovered Tonotec could walk at his second wedding. The King decided to marry Ashti and he invited Innya to attend the ceremony for whatever reasons. He immediately noticed when she and Tonotec came. He gasped and his eyes went wide.

Innya wanted to let him and his new wife know she did not mind or care that they were getting married. Hopefully, another official wife would keep the King away from her, not that it worked when Ashti was his girlfriend. He was still around her more than she liked, trying to get her to sit with him, talk with him, or some such nonsense. So, she dressed her cub up and decided to see a wedding for the second time in her life.

The King’s eyes fell to Tonotec and he gasped again. He probably did not even know that was their cub. Tonotec was well into his second year of life and Innya had ceased carrying him after he proved he could get around on his own. So, for about a year, he was on his own with moving. 

Tonotec walked on all fours most of the time, as most cubs did until they were about five or six years old. He had his chest puffed out like a tiny gorilla and her mother thought it was so adorable. Innya dressed Tonotec as she dressed, in a black vest and black pants and that was how they went to the wedding. 

This wedding seemed like a much more lively affair than her own. A full moon hung in the sky, bright and shining, witnessing what the nobles seemed to think was a big deal. From the crowd, over a hundred people, there had to be a representative for every noble family there, all dressed in their finest white clothing, mimicking the color of the full moon. Even the King was decked out in white.

She could smell different wines just waiting for the end of the ceremony. Spiced raw meat mixed with that scent. The King even served raw meat at a wedding. She would not stick around for that part.

“Innya, the cub’s getting so big,” the King said as he looked down at Tonotec, who was more interested in all of the ankles he was on level with rather than his father. 

“He’s also up late for this little event. You should thank him for gracing you with his presence,” Innya replied with a sniff. Tonotec should have been in the bed hours ago, but this seemed like something he should see.

The King grunted. “Is that so?”

“Yes, it is.” Innya looked at Tonotec. He glanced up at her without her having to say a word. She pointed to a chair at the far end of the garden. “Go sit there. I’ll be there in a second.”

“Yes, Mama,” Tonotec replied and he strolled off on all fours, careful to not get stepped on. He did not notice any of the eyes following him, his twin tails announcing who he was to everyone. Once he got to the chair, he stood up and easily climbed into the seat.

The King blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. “He talks?” 

“Somewhat. He says ‘yes, Mama’ rather well,” Innya answered.

“I’m sure that you saw to that.”

She arched an eyebrow, as that seemed like a shot at her. _What were his parents like?_ “What does it even matter? Go get married again.” She shooed him away with her hand.

The King grunted, but she was no longer playing him any mind. She joined Tonotec well out of the view of the other guests. She heard them mumbling about her, but it was not hate like most would expect. The nobles mostly backed the King’s play to marry her and let her give birth to the heir. There was this overall belief, Tonotec would inherit the King’s strength and power and she would teach him to use it in ways no one would think possible, so he would be able to expand their wealth. Well, they would have to wait and see, but she had no plans for Tonotec to be anything like the King.

Tonotec stayed awake for the whole wedding, even though he yawned several times. His golden eyes squinted as he watched and then he scanned the audience and shook his head, silver curls bouncing on his little head. He did not understand why they were attending the gathering. It was not like any other event she had taken him to, which was probably the only thing keeping him awake. This was new and he needed to piece it together.

“Mother, go?” Tonotec asked when he noticed everybody standing up.

“In a moment,” Innya answered.

Tonotec grunted in response, which he had picked up from his grandfather, not that his grandfather appreciated when Tonotec grunted at him. Tonotec yawned and rubbed his eye. He was tired and bored. He was not alone.

“Come on, we’re leaving,” Innya said the very moment the ceremony was over. Unlike her wedding, the nobles were allowed to stay and they raised glasses to the newly joined couple. People were planning what words they would say when it was their turn to speak. She did not know weddings had speeches.

Tonotec gave her a slow nod and slid out of his chair. She had him walk on his own, even though he was sleepy and staggering. She refused to carry him anywhere unless he was seriously injured and that never happened, which was good because “seriously injured” was a debatable term. He did not complain. But, then again, he did not know better. 

Innya made her way over to the King, who had his arm around a crying Ashti. Ashti was a beautiful bride, white silk gown with perfect jewelry. Her face, pale already, was painted white, but the paint ran thanks to her tears. She grabbed a cloth to wipe her face when Innya and Tonotec came over.

Innya had prepared Tonotec for this moment. Tonotec walked over to his father and tugged at his pant leg to get his attention. The King growled down at the cub, but Tonotec was not afraid, which made Innya proud.

“Con… grad… lations,” the word was mangled in Tonotec’s inexperienced mouth. 

“What?” the King asked. There was the chance he had not heard Tonotec since there was a lot of space between them, especially with the King standing up.

“No repeat,” the two-year-old answered and then he returned to his mother. 

Innya did not glance at her husband or his new wife. She did not care about them. As long as he stayed away from her, she was fine. He could get married as many times as he wanted to for all she cared. She had a life to live and a cub to raise. She left the garden with Tonotec trailing behind her.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya raises her cub while life in the palace goes on as it usually does.


	10. The More Things Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, do not use my characters without my permission.
> 
> A/N: there’s something like animal cruelty in this chapter.

10: The More Things Change

Innya and Tonotec quickly dismissed the King’s second wedding from their minds. Tonotec did not understand what it was and was way more interested in chasing things than asking about his father. Innya focused on raising and spending time with Tonotec. It was funny, but she enjoyed his company. 

They did a lot of reading together. Tonotec had favorite books at two and could recognize the cover if there was a picture on it. Whenever she read them enough and he knew the story by heart, he would try to tell it to her. Of course, her mother thought it was the most adorable thing ever and had Tonotec do it often. Her father tended to ask questions through Tonotec’s retelling and the poor cub did not quite understand questions yet, so he always gave strange answers.

Tonotec liked the garden, so Innya made sure to take him out there whenever the weather permitted. She practiced her fighting and he chased butterflies. Sometimes, he even caught him, but he never seemed to know what to do with them when he did.

On many occasions, her father would run Tonotec around the garden. Just run with him until the cub dropped. Tonotec had a good time with that as well. It was good he had a chance to run around with her parents, even though they came to the palace less and less as time went by. There could be a number of reasons for that, but they never told her and it did not matter. She and Tonotec went into the village to see them often.

When her boy’s fangs came in, Innya started training him to learn that parts of his body were weapons. A Wolf cub was similar to a puppy when it came to having sharp canine teeth, cubs liked to shred things. So, Innya had a thick, white cloth and she let Tonotec tug on with his mouth to get him used to mauling. 

Wolf canine teeth were great weapons, even though most Wolves rather use their fangs to bite their lovers in the heat of passion than to tear an opponent’s neck open. The latter made Innya roll her eyes whenever she thought about it. Fangs were weapons, just like claws and Innya wanted Tonotec to understand that his teeth were like deadly blades. (Later she found out he used his fangs like most other Wolves, even though he knew they were weapons and it was definitely not something she wanted to know.)

Innya sat in a room she was trying to turn into a library and read a book while her cub tried to tear the cloth from her hand. He struggled and growled, but the cloth did not give. Tonotec was not one to give up and he never whined when he did not make any progress. He just struggled more and growled louder while tugging harder. Innya smiled because of his determination. He liked mauling the cloth. 

“Oh, Innya!” The door of the study burst open and there was one of the last people Innya wanted to see without permission to kill her, Ashti. She was still a walking headache and she dropped to Innya’s feet. If Innya had a sword with her, she was certain she would have “accidentally” beheaded the female before she even opened her mouth. _Why the hell is Ashti on my side of the palace?_

“What’s the problem, Ashti?” Innya inquired against her better judgment, but the sooner she knew the problem, the sooner she would get Ashti out of the room. At least Tonotec was not bothered and wise enough to keep to his task. It looked like he was having a good time going at the handkerchief.

“Our husband has taken a mistress!” Ashti cried. There were actual tears, like she was hurt.

Innya truly hoped that was not the problem. _Did I really stop reading for this?_ Then again, what did she expect really? She had stopped reading for Ashti, after all. _So, really, who’s the idiot here?_

“So?” Innya asked. That could not be what was wrong.

“What do you mean so? Our husband has a mistress!” Ashti bawled. Her silver eyes were bloodshot, so she had been crying for a while already.

Innya controlled her anger for once in her life and she did not resort to violence, even though it was tempting. She calmly spoke, “Ashti, this is a case of history repeating itself with me on the outside not caring and you in the place I was the first time and you caring just a little too much.”

Ashti’s face scrunched up. “Huh?” 

Innya wanted to rip her head off for being as dumb as she was. “Okay, Ashti, let’s take this slowly. I’m just guessing here, but you’re pregnant, correct?” The King had not taken a mistress while he was married to her until she got pregnant.

“A little bit,” Ashti answered and that gave Innya an instant headache.

“You’re a little bit pregnant? All right, I’m not going to address that, but he’s not going to be physically intimate with you if you’re carrying his cub. He seeks pleasure elsewhere so as to not pollute the life inside of you,” Innya explained, or at least that was what someone had told her once. Male Wolves did not like to intimately touch their wives if their wives were pregnant because they believed it somehow would contaminate their cub, and who was Innya to debate that logic? She did not like to think about being intimate, especially if it involved the King. He had stopped with her more out of fear that he would kill his heir while wrangling her than anything else.

Ashti pouted. “But, that’s not fair!”

“If he did this once, what made you think he wouldn’t do it again?” Innya inquired. She figured the cage was open, the beast was loose, and he was not going to be captured again. The King was back to toying with women, which had been a huge part of his reputation before he married Innya. Innya was shocked he had even been faithful to her those first few months, but he was probably saving everything he had to get her pregnant, but now she was off track.

“He… but… we’re in love,” Ashti answered with a sniffle. 

Innya’s head throbbed now. There was no way Ashti could believe that. She did not care how brainless Ashti was. Nothing about the King said he loved anyone or thing beyond himself.

“I don’t even care anymore. It’s obvious that love to you isn’t the same as love to him,” Innya pointed out, like honor to her was not the same thing as honor to him. “Why’d you come to me with this nonsense?”

“Because he’s our husband,” she answered.

Innya shook her head as if that would help her headache. _Slowly, go slowly_. “Right, now remember how he used to be just my husband and then you came along?” Innya asked and Ashti nodded. Innya was proud of herself for using patience and not resorting to violence yet. Hitting Ashti would only make her cry more and Innya did not want to put up with that. “Now, what made you think you’d be the last, Ashti?”

Ashti rubbed her eyes with her fists, getting makeup all over her blue, silk dress sleeve. “But, we’re in love.”

“We just went over this. You two obviously have different opinions on what love is.”

“How? Love is love!” Ashti wailed.

Innya gritted her teeth. “Okay, think about it this way, do you think you could love more than one person at the same time?”

Ashti whined and nibbled her lower lip, rubbing off the red color in one corner. “Maybe…”

“No, we both know you couldn’t while the King clearly does.” Innya motioned between the two of them and somehow managed to not roll her eyes. “Now, stop crying. What good are tears to a grown bitch? If you have problems with him having a mistress, go take it up with him or with her. I have nothing to do with this nonsense.”

“How?” Ashti whimpered.

“What do you mean ‘how’? Just go talk to one of them about this whole thing. Unload all this crap on them, so they know how you feel and what you want to do about it,” Innya replied.

Ashti tilted her head, like she did not understand what Innya meant. It took Innya a moment to realize, but she was older than Ashti. It was probably only by a few years, but it was still time and experience. Maybe that was why Ashti came to her for help or whatever it was Ashti was looking for; she was never quite sure why the blonde had come to her. She often hoped Ashti did not look at her as a mentor, even though as time went on Ashti saw her as something equally as annoying.

“But, Innya—” Ashti sort of whined her name and it sounded horrible.

“Go!” Innya had already done her best. She was not about to go out of her way to help Ashti and confront the new mistress for her. That was just something else that kept the King away from her, so the new mistress was a good thing as far as she was concerned.

Ashti left the room, still in tears. Innya was glad she was gone and her head was feeling better already. She went back to reading while Tonotec continued to pull at the cloth. He had good focus, never once letting Ashti’s presence stop him from his task.

Innya gave the material a little tug and it snapped; she had not realized how much he had torn into the thing. Tonotec was still going at it full force when the cloth popped, so he tumbled back, completely off balance. He crashed into the wall not too far from her chair. He hit it hard enough for the noise to bounce around the room. 

Innya turned to him to see if her son would dare cry. Tonotec only winced as he fell onto his side. He rubbed his head with both of his hands.

“Come here,” Innya ordered him.

“Yes, Mama,” he replied and complied.

Tonotec walked over to his mother on all fours and she lifted him up to sit on her lap. She inspected his head, parting his very curly silver hair. She noticed a little knot forming on the back of his head. She massaged the area for him while he rested against her.

“You have to be careful. If the unexpected happens, you can’t let it throw you off so completely that you get hurt. Always stay focused, but on more than one thing. Stay focused on everything surrounding you, so nothing’s a surprise,” Innya told her son, even though she knew he did not completely understand.

“Yes, Mama,” Tonotec answered anyway while nodding somewhat. He agreed more on instinct, she suspected than anything else, even though he knew deep down he had better remember her advice. 

-8-8-8-8-

As time passed, Innya got tired of just letting Tonotec tug on cloth and occasionally suffer a minor head injury. She took him to the large garden and changed his butterfly game a little bit. She ordered him simply to “get the birds.” Tonotec understood what his mother meant and he started on trying to capture and kill the birds in the garden. He really enjoyed mauling things. Innya shouted instructions to him and at times Tonotec would get dizzy from trying to follow her orders and his instincts.

“What are you doing out here?” the King asked one day when he found her in the main garden with Tonotec. Tonotec was all over the place thanks to the birds.

“Just letting Tonotec get some exercise. What of you? I heard you have a new mistress. You should be busy,” Innya commented. The news was a couple of months old, but it was the best she had as far as his life was concerned.

“That’s old news unless of course you mean my _new_ new one.” He threw back his shoulders, pride down his spine.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”

He chuckled. “I try to keep you on your toes. The one you’re talking about more than likely is the one who got pregnant very quickly. I only had her for a couple of weeks before she pupped.”

Innya curled her lip up in disgust. That was her more information than she needed. “So, you’re going to marry her, too, then?”

He shrugged. “It’s only right. She’s carrying my cub, after all.”

Innya fought the urge to gag. “Lucky her. Don’t invite me to this one. The only reason I came to the other one was to show you I don’t care.” She had her freedom and her family. The King could fuck the whole village for all she cared now.

He looked at her with a hint of a smile. “Is that so?”

“Yes, it is. I’m going to be visiting my parents no matter when you have this wedding, anyway,” she said. She did not want him to get the wrong impression, even though it seemed late for that. 

“Well into the night?” he asked as if he had any say in how she spent her nights.

“Is that any of your business?” she countered.

“Yes, you’ll be out with my cub, after all.”

She held in a laugh. There were times when she would be surprised if the King knew Tonotec’s name. “Nothing’ll happen to him. He’ll be with me, after all. Besides, watch him closely and you’ll see he’s not so defenseless for a little guy.”

The King turned his attention to his son. Tonotec dived into a bush and came tumbling out with a bird struggling in his claws. The little prince lifted the screeching animal to his mouth and ripped its throat out with his teeth. He spit out the huge chunk of meat. She would have to tell her father about that. Tonotec was really coming along, especially for a toddler.

“Mama,” Tonotec called because he was looking for acknowledgment on his kill.

“Very good. One more,” Innya ordered him and Tonotec, like a happy puppy, ran off to hunt another bird.

“What’s the point? He could eat a bird for dinner,” the King said.

Innya sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose as a headache throbbed at the front of her skull. “If you didn’t notice, he didn’t eat the bird. He only killed it. At dinner, the bird wouldn’t be moving, able to flee, and he wouldn’t experience the death for him to get used to it. This is getting him used to killing. He can’t think about it or feel sorry when it happens. It has to be like breathing to him or he could end up dead. I mean, if he wants to be the best, anyway.”

He nodded. “I see. You’re certainly a killer. Did you parents do this to you when you were younger?”

“My father.”

“Him,” the King grunted and frowned. His attitude toward her father was definitely one of the reasons her parents did not like hanging around the palace much.

She glared at him. “Don’t be so bitter just because he can easily beat you in chess. He used to make me hunt rats in the woods and it had to be rats. If I came back with anything but a rat, he’d pop me with this rope he had. Nine times out of ten, I came back with a rat after he hit me with that rope a couple of times.”

He glanced over Tonotec. “No rope for the cub?”

“He’s going for birds. Those are harder to catch than rats because they fly, so he’s got a more difficult task. He’s still a little young, too,” Innya explained. Besides, she knew that her father would get to the rope when he thought that it was necessary. Good luck to Tonotec then.

“I suppose. I wanted to tell you that you’re to begin joining us for dinner,” the King said.

 _Ah, he’s here to give an order_. That was better than him just visiting. “Us?” She arched an eyebrow.

“Myself, Ashti, and my soon to be wife, Aliyana.”

“Why?” she asked. She did not want to eat with any of them. She was not sure she would be able to stomach her food around them. Not to mention, she ate with her parents, nice cooked meals with a variety of foods beyond seasoned raw meat.

“I want you at my dinner table every night, simple as that,” he answered.

“Then Tonotec will have to be there with me. I don’t go anywhere without my cub,” she replied. She did not think he would want that. Children were unpredictable, after all, and he would not desire to deal with the problem.

He looked at the cub again. “It’s about time I saw the cub on a daily basis. He’s my heir, after all. I’m his father, so he should eat with me and learn from me.” Like that was his idea all along.

“Whatever,” she replied in a clipped tone. He spoke as if he was proud of a son he did not even know. As far as he knew, there was nothing to be proud of and, for him, there never should be because he did not help raise Tonotec. He helped almost ruin Tonotec a couple of times, but that was further along.

The King grunted and left Innya with Tonotec. Her son quietly stalked his prey, a rather large bird. Tonotec had sneaked up on the fat creature rather well. When he was a few inches from the feathered animal, the boy pounced on his prey and caught it with ease. He killed the bird with his claws rather than his fangs that time.

“I can see why his grandparents are so proud of him.” Innya said.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya’s parents adored Tonotec and he was their other treasure. Her mother cuddled Tonotec, like he was still a baby. He did not seem to mind, always giving her mother a hug when her mother opened her arms for him. 

Her mother enjoyed looking after the cub when Innya went to the Pit almost every day. Most of the time, her mother would tell her to take as much time as she wanted. She would spend several hours training and her mother would go about her day with Tonotec. He tended to excitedly tell her about that. 

“Mama, the chickens!” He made hand gestures to show her the size. His toddler vocabulary did not have the words to let her know why he was so excited about the chickens.

“He keeps chasing them,” her mother said from her spot in the kitchen. She was plucking a chicken. “The reason we’re eating this one is because he got into the pin and killed it.”

“Yes, Tonotec!” Innya high-fived him. “Dad, you hear that? We’re eating one of Tonotec’s kills.”

Her father scoffed from on the couch. He had been complaining of back pain recently and her mother forced him to lie down. He also had to drink special tea. He was not happy about it.

“I saw the kill. Sloppy work,” her father said.

“He’s a baby!” her mother replied from the kitchen.

“If he can kill something, he’s not a baby anymore.”

“You’re not a baby and you can barely stand up today.”

That stopped her father for the moment. They had dinner, chicken and potatoes, and he seemed intent on proving her mother wrong by walking around. Tonotec ran around his grandfather’s legs. Her father grunted and almost reached for his back, but caught himself.

“I’m gonna make this cub mean, like you used to be Innya,” her father said.

“Excuse me, I’m pretty sure I am still mean,” she replied.

He snorted, but did not add to it. He pulled out the rope that Innya remembered all too well on Tonotec and he cracked poor Tonotec with it so easily. Tonotec yelped and rolled out of the way. 

“Leave him alone and be careful. You don’t need to break down anymore,” her mother said. Her father ignored that. He was not going to have a fun night when Innya and Tonotec left.

-8-8-8-8-

Tonotec quickly learned to move fast enough and read his grandfather to not get hit as much, but he still got caught with that damned rope. He also figured out there were little nooks in the living room he could use for duck and cover. Innya’s father barked at the cub to attack, but Tonotec never seemed to care about going on the offensive. He got a good workout, though.

“He’s just like his mom,” Innya’s father said as he rubbed Tonotec’s head. A smile settled on her father’s face. His back seemed all better, but it acted up a lot more than Innya remembered.

“No, I recall Innya going for your jugular after you hit her with that rope enough times,” her mother replied.

Her father shook his head. “She was a lot older than he was.” He scratched his chin. “She was about seven when she started to try to rip my throat out for the rope trick. That was when training changed up for her.”

“Became worse you mean?” Innya grinned. She loved training with her father throughout her life, but it was never a fun experience. Results did not lie about how effective he was, though.

“Tonotec, your mother will be expecting you to be out for my neck way before you’re seven. So, get mean, boy!” He pushed Tonotec roughly and the child growled menacingly at him, which was about all Tonotec ever did. His instincts more than likely held him back from trying to kill his grandfather. Cubs just knew not to attack certain people.

“Dad, he’ll bite you if I tell him to,” Innya said.

“Tell him,” he dared her. He wanted to make sure Tonotec was properly trained in being a warrior and a killer.

“Dad,” Innya sighed.

“I’ll crush this little cub,” her father said and he teased Tonotec by growling at the cub, who growled right back.

Innya’s father challenged Tonotec on a daily basis to make sure he learned to be fearless. Tonotec liked spending time with his grandfather. She used to love it when she was a cub, even though pain went along with it. But, that all paid off as she got older. Innya connected with her father on so many levels. _Will Tonotec ever connect with his own father like I do with mine?_ She doubted he ever would and she really did not want him to.

Tonotec did not really seem interested in anything that was not tempting him or his mother did not order him to attack. That attitude showed in full force when his mother took him to dine with the King. Innya and Tonotec showed up late without her explaining why and they saw the King, an extremely pregnant Ashti, and a redhead woman who Innya did not care to know, but she assumed the redhead was the King’s soon to be third wife.

Innya walked in the dining area as if she owned the place and not like she was fifteen minutes late. Tonotec came in right behind her on all fours with his chest puffed out. She sat at the far end of the narrow, long table. Tonotec sat next to her. Neither Innya nor her cub bothered to even glance down at the other end of the table. The King grunted, but he did not say a word to bring anything up. 

Innya and Tonotec did not really eat when dinner was served. Tonotec curled his lip at the cuts of deer meat in front of him. He tried it when Innya did, but neither of them finished it. That was how the warrior and her son had dinner from then on for a few years. Every now and then, the King would bother them about eating the entire meal, making it more irksome for them.

-8-8-8-8-

“Mother, we’re staying for dinner, right?” Tonotec asked. He was five years old and they were at Innya’s parents’ house. Tonotec watched his grandmother prepare dinner while Innya sharpened her old sword. His tails swayed behind him, eager to have some of the rabbit stew. The rabbits had been purchased in the market. She and her father had taken Tonotec out to hunt rabbits, but they were too quick for him.

“Your father wouldn’t appreciate that much,” Innya replied as if she cared. They often ate with her parents. She was sick to her stomach with raw meat, even when they only had it in small doses. 

“Yeah, but your mother would appreciate that much,” he argued and he had a point.

“No five-year-old should ever pose such great arguments. We’ll eat here and then we’ll fake it back at home.” Their usual habit.

Tonotec smirked; he looked like his mother when he did that. “Mother, you’re full of clever ideas.”

“More like foolish ideas,” Innya’s mother remarked.

“Ah, Mom, you know we do this all the time. At least Tonotec approves.” He seemed to like having a conspiring going every now and then. “I know something else that Tec will approve of,” Innya said. She had not meant to shorten her son’s name as she had just done, thus giving him a horrible pet name as her mother had done to her. The word “Tec” sort of fell out of her mouth before she could stop it and she wondered if mothers gave their cubs pet names by accident. She just gave her cub a reason to be annoyed with her later on in life as she had been with her mother for the name “Innie.”

“What do you have planned for this little softie today?” Innya’s father inquired as he pushed Tonotec roughly, but the boy stood his ground rather than stumble back as he used to do.

“Today Tonotec will get to see what warriors do in their free time,” Innya replied.

“You’re going to take my five-year-old grandson to the Pit?” Innya’s mother asked with wide eyes. Innya half-expected to get slapped just from the way her mother sounded.

“That was the general idea,” she answered, doing her best to sound like that was normal.

Her mother stared her down. “To fight?”

“To observe. He’ll be expected to fight soon, though.”

“What? You can’t be serious.” Her mother moved closer, as if closing the distance would change her mind.

“Mom, what’s the problem? Dad tossed me in the Pit when I was eight and all he told me was ‘don’t get killed.’ And when I say tossed me in there, I mean he literally threw me in there. I slid face first in the dirt and was surrounded by a bunch of sweaty, smelly weaklings who not only laughed at me, but kicked my butt all up and down the Pit quite soundly. The sooner Tonotec gets in there, the sooner he’ll get better and that’s the key thing,” Innya pointed out.

That statement was enough to take the heat off of Innya. Her mother turned her attention to her spouse and looked at him with fury. “You threw her in the Pit when she was just eight?” 

He winced. “You know, Innya, I recall also telling you don’t ever tell your mother about that. And ‘threw’ has such negative connotations. I wouldn’t call it ‘threw her in there.’ Eight’s relative. Eight, nine, five, really what’s the difference?” He waved the whole matter off, even though her mother was infuriated, fire dancing in her eyes.

“She was just a tiny cub! She barely had fangs in her mouth! Speaking of fangs, was that the day she came back with her top left fang knocked out or was that another one of your little adventures?”

He glanced away. “Maybe.”

“I don’t believe you! You took my little cub to the Pit when she was eight! That’s it, Innya, I’m coming with you,” her mother declared. Well, that was not the plan.

“Um… why, Mom?” Innya asked. It was not like she had been the one who took herself to the Pit when she was eight.

“For all I know you might throw my little grandson in the Pit like your father did with you. I won’t have it. He’s only five and he’s the only grandson I have. So, let’s go.” Her mother marched to the door.

“You’re kidding, right, Mom?” Innya asked. She could not even remember the last time her mother talked about going to the Pit.

“No, come on. Chinto, watch the food in the stove and don’t let it burn,” she told her husband.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a slight smile. He was obviously just happy to be out of trouble with his spouse. Lucky him.

Innya sighed. “Mom, you haven’t been to the Pit in decades.”

“And?” she asked.

“Decades,” Innya repeated and she did not mean like a couple of decades, no. Her mother had stopped bothering with the Pit long before she was even born.

“Tonotec, come on. Your mother will meet us at the Pit.” Her mother opened the door and her son dashed out without having to be told twice.

“Mom, decades for crying out loud. You stopped going to the Pit before you even met Dad,” Innya argued as she made her way out of the door with both of her swords, one over her shoulder and the other attached to her hip.

“What does that have to do with me going now?” her mother inquired as they started on their way.

“It has everything to do with it. Why go?” Innya asked.

“I told you, you might throw my little grandson in there with those filthy warriors.”

“Don’t you trust me, Mom?”

“Let’s just go, Innie.”

“Mom!”

“Innie?” Tonotec echoed. He had never heard her called by that ridiculous name before and she wished he never did.

“Don’t worry about it,” Innya told her son.

Tonotec shrugged and the trio arrived at the Pit in silence. Innya took a look around and she found there were several Moon Thieves at the Pit, which was odd. There never were more than five Moon Thieves at the Pit at one time and that was very rare. They usually just had better than things to do most of the time. There were nine there now.

Innya turned to her mother, who had noticed the same thing as her daughter. Innya hoped her mother would be able to explain why it looked like the Moon Thieves were having a convention, but the older female could only offer a shrug. Innya turned her attention back to the Pit.

“Tonotec, you make sure you watch me carefully and pick up on everything that you possibly can,” Innya said.

“Yes, Mother,” the cub replied.

“Hold this for me.” Innya handed him the weapon on her side. It was her heavier, but newer sword. He held it with ease, showing he was strong already. Innya smirked and her mother rubbed the child’s head to acknowledge his power. 

“I have it, Mother,” Tonotec said about the sword.

“I can see that. Be a good cub for your grandmother,” Innya replied, even though he would be on his best behavior. He always was. She left her mother and son to go pick a fight.

“Watch your mother in action. She’s a real terror,” the boy’s grandmother told him with a proud smile. Innya was always glad she made her mother proud. She knew her father was proud of her since he had trained her, but her mother did not really have a hand in her training and it felt good to know she approved. Time to show off.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: teaching Tonotec through observation makes life difficult. 


	11. Unchanging

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please do not use them without my permission.

11: Unchanging

Innya went over to her fellow Moon Thieves, nine in all, who were just having a weaponless free-for-all. She smirked at them and they all smiled back. There were no words needed between them. They all knew each other very well. Every person in the free-for-all attacked Innya at the same time.

“What are you all doing here?” Innya inquired as she ducked fists and feet and tails from some of the more creative fighters. She grunted as some of the hits made contact as she blocked them with her forearms.

“Blowing off a lot of steam,” Menoa, she believed his name was, answered. He was a little older than she was and they moved in different circles outside of Moon Thieves. He connected with a mighty punch that forced her back a little.

Innya arched an eyebrow as she jumped out of the way of several fists and flipped Finta, a tall, thick female, over her shoulder. “Why?” She grunted as she stepped in the dirt, meaning for it to be Finta’s neck, but Finta was back up as fast as she should have been. Finta tried to put her boot in Innya’s back, but missed and kicked Bao in the face. He fell back.

“The King,” they all grumbled. The Moon Thieves trusted each other with their lives. Since Innya was one of them, they could tell her anything about the King even if she was his wife. She was honor bound to keep what was said between them just between them.

“What did he do?” she asked as she pushed three of them back. She dodged attacks from the others. She stepped out of the way just as Boa was about to come down on her head. He bounced when he hit the ground and his foot whizzed by her nose.

“Instead of giving us, the highly skilled and best warriors the assignment to get the Book, he sent out others,” Finta answered and Innya knew she had to be hearing wrong. The Book was her assignment, so there was no way someone else got it and no one at least mentioned it to her.

“Did you say the Book?” Innya inquired to be sure before she got extremely pissed off for no good reason. She stopped a boot right at her cheek, but it pushed her to the side.

Finta stepped in trying to hit her with several punches, but she avoided all of them. “Yes. He sent a troop of young idiots after the Book. Their breath still smells like milk.”

“You’re sure?” Innya pressed.

“Certain. That’s why we’re all here and fighting.”

“You know what,” Innya said, so calm she surprised herself. _There is no way I mellowed this much, so why aren’t I ready to rip everyone in the damned Pit apart?_ She did not know, but she should be responsible while she was still in control.“I have to quit right now. I might accidentally kill one of you because I am so pissed it’s actually hurting my chest.” Innya exited the brawl and returned to her mother and son.

“What happened?” her mother asked as she stood before them. Tonotec gazed at her with big, curious eyes.

“A big problem. I can’t fight them right now or I’ll kill somebody.” Innya growled and flexed her claws. “I want Tonotec’s first trip to the Pit to be special and educational, but not so much to where he sees what happens when I can’t control my anger.” She needed Tonotec to grow up learning to control his emotions, so seeing her lose her mind would not help. He had to be better than she was. _He will be better than I am_.

Her mother gave her an understanding nod. “Then I guess I’ll just assist you in that area. I want him to learn, too.”

Innya was not quite following and could feel her face scrunch up, even though she tried to keep a straight face. “What do you mean, Mom?”

Her mother looked at Tonotec and rubbed the top of his head. “Sweetie, hand your grandmother that sword.”

Tonotec complied without inquiring why his grandmother wanted the weapon. He knew better than to question his elders. Innya gawked at the whole scene. She could not believe what her mother was about to do. This was just too much, but seemed quite right for an already bizarre day.

“Mom, you’re not serious, right?” Innya asked. Her mother hated the Pit. She used to always tell her that it was just a place for riff-raff to hang out and compare notes on how bad they were compared to real warriors. Her mother did not even like that she went to the Pit as much as she did. When she was growing up, it was a huge argument between her parents quite often when her father took her to the Pit.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” her mother said and then she started off toward the fighting.

“Mom, you don’t even use a sword! And it’s been decades for crying out loud,” Innya called to her mother, who did not respond. 

She did not mind her mother fighting, but she did not want her to fight some place that she detested, some place she viewed as beneath her. She could just bring Tonotec back later when she was calm and show him some things rather than her mother battling out at some place that she considered a waste of space. When Innya had first started going on her own, her mother used to punish her when she returned home as an attempt to discourage her from going back. Her mother really, really looked down on the place and Innya could understand why. She came mostly from habit now more than anything else. Some Moon Thieves started following her to make the place less of Hell hole, but it was still pretty bad.

“Grandmother’s going to fight?” Tonotec asked as if he was just as surprised as Innya was. He had never seen his grandmother fight.

“Apparently so,” Innya replied. Not like she could stop her mother. They might as well enjoy the treat.

He nodded and watched his grandmother for a moment before turning back to his mother. “Do you know those warriors you fought with, Mother?”

“If I didn’t, they’d be dead.” She would have lost control after they told her about her mission going to someone else without anyone even telling her.

“We don’t kill those we know?” he asked with a little wrinkle between his eyebrows, which were changing color as he got older, growing darker. Even at his young age, he was already developing his low, composed key of speaking and he hardly ever changed his tone, even back then.

“We don’t kill those who aren’t worth it or don’t deserve it. I tend to not kill my brother and sister assassins. They’re fellow Moon Thieves and I look at them as siblings and they’re very good warriors.” Training to be a Moon Thief was intense and bonded her to her pack like family. They might not hang out, but she felt a connection to them that made them very important in her life. They had been important in her development, in helping to make her who she was, and she was the same for them.

“So, we don’t kill brothers and sisters?” he asked.

She wagged a finger at him. She did not want him to think anyone got a pass for some reason. The Wolf Tribe was very sound in the belief that some people just needed killing or deserved to die. He needed more of a reason for why he might let someone live than why he might slaughter someone. 

“We use our judgment before killing anybody,” Innya said. “I always weigh things out, unless I’m angry, when I kill somebody. You’ll know when it’s right for you to kill somebody and you’ll know when it’s right for you to let someone live, Tec. Now, let’s watch your grandmother because I doubt we’re ever going to see this again.” She could not recall the last time she saw her mother fighting without having to duck an attack by her mother.

The mother and son turned their attention to the older assassin. Innya’s mother had caught the attention of quite a number of warriors. The Moon Thieves had to halt their brawl just to stare at one of their most respected, senior active members. They probably could not believe she was there. They were more than aware of how she felt about the Pit. 

“Hey, who let this old lady in here?” a young warrior joked when he took notice of Innya’s mother. He approached her with a group of idiot, smart aleck youngsters in his wake.

“No, you really don’t want to do that,” Menoa tried to warn the kid. He held up a hand, warning them to stop, but they did not listen, pushing forward. This was going to end badly for someone.

“Are you lost, old lady?” a girl remarked with a teasing smile.

“Miss Polania, please, try to understand. They’re young and stupid,” Menoa tried to explain to Innya’s mother to get her to spare the kids their lives.

“Well, let’s educate these youngsters, shall we?” Innya’s mother commented with a smirk. She turned her attention to the young group, all seven of them. Yes, Innya got her attitude more from her mother than her father when it came to fighting. Shocking for anyone who never saw her mother fight.

“Watch your grandmother carefully,” Innya ordered her son. It would be a quick contest.

“Miss Polania,” Menoa tried his best to stop Innya’s mother and more than likely save the poor moron warriors who did not know who she was. He needed to accept sometimes it was impossible to fix stupid. The youngsters had already more than likely talked their way into a slaying and the Moon Thieves were aware of that. Finta put her hand on Menoa’s shoulder and shook her head. He gave a sigh and stepped back into their fold.

Innya’s mother waved them away. “Please, back away. Anyone too close might get a taste of my daughter’s blade. It’s been a while since I’ve fought with so many watching so close to me and I don’t want to injure someone significant.”

Innya rolled her eyes. Her mother was always acting like she was so incompetent. She was a master of dozens of weapons and competent with things that were not even weapons. Not to mention, she was a genius on using moves that did not fight her fighting style.

Menoa held up his hands in surrender and he, along with fellow Moon Thieves wisely backed away. There was a flash of Innya’s sword. There were gasps, but no screams, and three of the youngsters dropped as her mother sheathed the sword.

“Grandmother’s fast,” Tonotec said, trying to mask his awe of his grandmother, but it was impossible. 

Innya had to fight keeping her jaw from dropping open. She even forgot that her mother was fast enough to kill a whole group of people before anyone noticed, before anyone got the chance to holler. _And this woman always swears she’s old!_

“You’ll be faster than that,” Innya promised her son. They would all make it so. 

“Yes, Mother.”

The pair watched as the group of young warriors stepped back to get a good look at their fallen comrades. Innya’s mother had been merciful and not killed the three, but they would not be doing any serious activities like walking for a rather long time. Her mother shook her head and that seemed to take the others out of their scared stupor. The group growled at her and the four able-bodied fools drew their weapons and attacked. Before anyone could blink, the youngsters were dropping their weapons and coughing up blood.

“I try to tell everyone that coming here’s a waste of time. What was the point of this fight? These fool cubs will never be significant,” Innya’s mother said with a curl of her upper lip. She cleaned off the sword while her opponents fell to the dirt. She rejoined her daughter and grandson.

“Allow me, Grandmother.” Tonotec took the sword and sheathed the weapon for his grandmother.

“Thank you, sweetie. Such a helpful and good cub.” She smiled at her grandson, caressed his cheek, and then she turned her attention to Innya. “Are those the new generation of warriors?”

Being a Moon Thief left Innya’s mother only meeting warriors who were worthwhile and actually going to live long enough to have families, retire, and things like that, even if they did not make into the pack. Her mother had no real idea of how the majority of warriors in the tribe were. Yes, she knew to avoid the Pit, but it was worse than that. Being a Moon Thief actually sheltered some of the members from the reality that they were surrounded by morons when outside of their pack.

“Unfortunately. With luck, most of them will be thrown in the army or better still killed off,” Innya said very seriously. The Army was pretty useless in the past decade. Her mother used to lament what happened to it when she was growing up, but it was so bad now that her mother did not even acknowledge its existence. The King had not gone to war with anyone in that time and many suspect it was because he was writing the Book. There had been whispers about him writing that Book and how it did “weird” things to him, not that he was worthy anything before that.

Her mother blew out a small breath. “As long as they don’t become Moon Thieves. I might be retired by then, but I still wouldn’t like to share a pack with such false warriors.”

Innya did not want to think about how their pack could end up with some of these idiots. It had to be impossible. “I’d quit if that was the case. Well, I guess that’s enough Pit for today. That was a pleasant outing.”

“But, Mother, you didn’t fight very long. Will we come back? Will I get a chance to fight?” Tonotec asked, almost anxiously. His little body shook, like he was fighting back fidgeting. 

“Of course, you will.” Innya patted him on the head.

Tonotec nodded and that seemed to calm him. The trio set off for their home. When they arrived there, Tonotec handed his mother her sword and watched her place both weapons on the sofa. Innya leaned against the wall for a moment and noticed her son go off to watch her mother cook. Tonotec stuck close to his grandmother when he was around her. 

Innya got an idea at that very moment. She would have to take her son away from her mother for a moment or so. She smirked. He would not mind when he heard her proposal.

“Tec,” Innya called and mentally slapped herself for saying the pet name again. _Damn it, stop doing that!_

“Yes, Mother?” he answered.

“Why don’t you grab a sword and we go outside to practice while Mom finishes dinner,” Innya said.

“Are you sure, Mother?” he asked. He was not accustomed to her training him with a weapon.

“If you don’t want to, we could just stand around here until your grandmother’s done with dinner. Or Dad could get his rope, whichever you like.”

His eyes went wide and he waved his hands in front of his body. “No! No, I want to practice with you!” He sounded like he feared she would tell him it was too late to accept the offer now.

She winked at him. “Then grab a sword.” 

Tonotec grabbed Innya’s older sword. It was the lighter weapon and would be easier to wield. Innya glanced at her mother, who was still preparing dinner. It was a sort of a check-in. Since her mother did not say anything, she had to assume this was a good thing for her to do. She grabbed her other sword. 

For Innya, it was always a treat to practice with her mother. It was rare. Tonotec would definitely do it more with her in his lifetime and she got to do it with her mother, but that did not mean it did not have to be a treat. She and Tonotec practiced outside until dinner was done. Her sword was too long for him, but he managed his best in wielding it. She worked on him getting out of her way while carrying around a clumsy weapon. 

Her father observed the combat, standing in the doorway. From the look on his face that he was impressed with her cub. It took all of her self-control not to hold her head high with pride.

“If this boy wasn’t such a softie, he might actually live up to that name of his,” Innya’s father said as he hit Tonotec hard in the back of the head. 

The five-year-old growled at his grandfather. How long would her cub put up with her father’s pushing him to attack before he obliged the older warrior? Her father would probably love it to happen as soon as possible.

“He’s not a softie. He’s very dangerous,” Innya said, even though her father was just trying to push the cub more.

Her father only laughed as the trio went into the house for dinner. Dinner was always a warm affair. They crowded around the table in the kitchen. It was funny how small it seemed when all they did was add Tonotec to their family and he was still tiny. Still, it was intimate and wonderful. Something the palace would never be.

The mother and son duo ate slowly, delicious goat stew with potatoes, carrots, and wild rice. Then they set off for the palace. Innya did not bother to show up for dinner at the palace. If Innya was not going, then Tonotec was not going to go either. Innya left her cub in his room and ordered that he practice his swordplay for an hour, do some reading, and then go to bed. She had business to attend to, so she would not be able to see him through those things for once. He did not ask questions, which she appreciated since she did not want to tell him what she was up to. It would only make him more curious.

Innya had to have a word or two with her “darling” husband. She caught him as he was leaving the dining room. She managed to surprise him and force him into a small, office-type room. He was stunned, eyes wide and mouth open, while she was gripping his shirt tightly.

“Innya, you have become rather forw—” he started, but she did not let him finish. She did not care what he had to say.

“Shut up!” She slammed against him, shoving him against a wall. “You gave my assignment away without even telling me!” She snarled at him. She wanted to tear his face off and then go about her day as if nothing happened. He was such an inconsiderate jackass.

He grunted and arched an arched eyebrow. “Your assignment?”

“You sent a squad of pissy little new warriors after the Book. The Book is my assignment!”

“That you failed at,” he pointed out in a calm voice, which earned him another growl. 

_I just want to tear his fucking throat out!_ Her failing was beside the point. She was the only Wolf who could deal with the scarred transcendent who stole the Book and she had personal business to settle with him. Was that so hard for the dolt to understand? Not to mention, it was just bad manners to not tell her that her assignment was being moved along.

“What makes you think a bunch of snot nose punks will do better than I can?” she inquired through clenched teeth.

He stared her down, like his answer would satisfy her in any way. “They’re a new pack of magic users—”

“That doesn’t answer my question!”

He straightened and glared down at her. “I do _NOT_ have to answer any of your questions.” While that was true in theory, it was not a good philosophy for anyone to live by as far as Innya was concerned.

She snarled at him, baring her fangs at him in a challenge. He gave her an amused smile, not accepting her challenge. He removed her hands from his person and pushed her against the door of the room. He pinned her in place and then huffed in her face, breath smelling of blood and curry.

“I could crush you anytime I felt like it,” the King said.

“You could,” Innya replied. He would not dare try to crush her and it would not be as easy as he thought that it was.

The King frowned and shoved her to the side, as furious with her as she was with him. Innya stayed on her feet despite the rough throw and he stormed out. Aside from the brief moment of manhandling, Innya was disappointed in the exchange. She thought he would at least yell more, but he obviously did not think she was worth that much of his energy. He underestimated her. If he did not tell her what she desired to know then she would find out on her own. 

She would have to investigate later. Her cub was still awake and he was alone. She had to get back to him since things did not go according to plan.

Innya returned to Tonotec and watched him as he practiced for a while, pride filling her like air. Her boy at the age of five was already so graceful, more so than she was. It was a thing of beauty to watch him move with his sword as if he had been born holding the weapon. His natural ability coupled with his practice, she was certain he would be exactly what she envisioned. 

Once he was done with his practice, she listened to him read and helped him along when he came to words he did not know or that he stumbled through. When he was finished reading, she prepared him for bed.

Once Tonotec was asleep, Innya set off to find out why her assignment had been given away and it did not even go to another Moon Thief, but to some group of wet-behind-the-ears-thumb-sucking magic users. Innya could kill a magic user with ease, as she had proven in the past when she killed transcendents. There was not a magic-using Wolf alive that was better than a Moon Thief. There was no magic user who deserved her assignment over one of her brother assassins. Innya was not going to stand for such injustice, but she came up empty on information that night.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya woke the next morning and found her son sleeping at the foot of her bed. He did that from time to time, but she never asked him why and he never offered an explanation, or even an excuse. She always wondered how he got in the room without her noticing, though. No one but Tonotec ever could sneak up on her while she was asleep. Maybe it was because he was not a threat. The cub woke up seconds after his mother and he yawned while she looked at him.

“Morning, Mother,” Tonotec said without hesitation. No shame in being caught sleeping at the foot of her bed. She did not mind it because even if he was coming to her bed from fear of something, it showed that he trusted her to protect him, as he was supposed to.

Innya did not greet her son. She never greeted anyone at any time. She liked to just get into things and felt like that was enough of an acknowledgement. 

The pair got ready for the day and trained most the day. They visited Innya’s parents afterwards and stayed with them most of the day as always. It was an excellent day, as they often were.

They returned to the palace and the night went as it often did. They had dinner with the rest of the Royal household, in the sense that they sat at the table. They did not really eat any of the seasoned raw meat placed in front of them and also tried not to make eye contact with the Royal family. Tonotec often seemed as impressed with the family as she did, which was not very. 

Dinner with the King bothered Innya in ways it should not. He never questioned why their cub did not eat anything. The truth was Tonotec filled up at her parents’ house, but the King did not know that. Why did he never ask? Or at least grumble at her about their cub’s eating habits. Her parents were on top of her about her own eating habits and Tonotec’s, yet the King could not care less. _I really wish I could’ve given you a better father, Tonotec_.

She put that out of her mind, though. Now was not the time to think about how Tonotec deserved a better father, just like she deserved a better husband, and the village deserved a better king. Those things were out of her control. She had to work with what she could work with.

When Tonotec slept, Innya hunted for answers as to why her mission had been given away, to children no less. It did not take her long to piece the puzzle together as it all led her back to her husband, who had taken a new mistress. The female was not an ordinary female like his other two mistresses, nor was she a high noble like Ashti. His new mistress was a warrior, a magic user Innya later found out. She was young though, and stupid like most of her kind. 

So, Innya had been disrespected, as had her fellow Moon Thieves, in order for the King to pamper and spoil his newest pet. Innya would have to make her rage known. She had to, even if it would not get through to the King.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya approached the King in the garden. It was a quiet night, clear skies dotted with stars. He was by himself and he did not acknowledge her presence until she was by his side. He glanced down at her while she focused ahead of him. It was almost peaceful.

There were times when Innya thought she could have been happy with the King, if he was not a complete and total ass and psychologically disturbed. There were times they seemed to be on the same page and could get along without wanting to kill each other. There were times when it seemed like they could exist together, but those times were too few and far in between.

“Another one?” Innya said to break the silence. The quiet was a lie to her. She could not be at peace in his presence after what he put her through. 

“What can I say, except that no one else deserved her,” he answered.

“Really?” Innya asked in a skeptical tone as she had heard those words before and he did not understand them the first time that he spoke them to her. “And you gave her pack my assignment.”

“Someone else deserved a try.”

She curled her lip. “Did you come to that decision while you were on top of her?”

“It doesn’t matter when or where I made the decision. I made the decision.”

Innya’s fingers twitched, wanting to rip the King apart, but she maintained control. “If you’re going to give my mission away, next time give it to someone worthy of it. Never skip over Moon Thieves for youngsters. Young warriors don’t know their place and most of them aren’t useful.” 

He probably did not understand what she meant by “useful.” Useful to Innya was what her mother called “significance as a warrior,” which simply meant the warrior would live to do something that was worth being proud of, something worth having elders praise them, like killing a transcendent or being accepted into a pack that had some status and credibility or pulling their family up from the dirt with their own righteous grit. The King did not understand that, though. He did not know that some warriors were just useless. They were going to die at a young age or become bullies of those weaker than they were.

“You Moon Thieves don’t like competition?” The King glanced at her with a smirk.

“We don’t like being disrespected. We’re the best warriors around and it would help you to remember and believe that.” It was not something they took lightly either. There was so much work that went into becoming who they were, but no one outside of their pack understood that, even the King apparently. 

“Things change.”

She scoffed. “Don’t spout pointless clichés at me, as they hold no meaning to me. You continue to snap at my pride and one day it’s going to bite back.”

“Are you threatening me?” he asked, like he was amused, but also stunned.

“I’m warning you. You still don’t know me, but I know you. Strength doesn’t win every battle. I’d watch your new bitch. Those young ones really don’t know their place.” Innya turned around to leave without waiting for her husband to reply.

Innya had had her fair share of run-ins with young warriors, inside and outside of the Pit. A great majority of them were foolhardy and full of themselves. Many suffered serious injuries from the more merciful Moon Thieves. Innya spared a few lives of youngsters she thought would prove useful one day, but she usually destroyed young upstarts. It was something her mother had practically ingrained in her because her mother always told her being useless was no way to be. So, Innya made sure those young warriors had no reason to be so confident and stopped being.

Innya and her parents tried to make sure Tonotec would not grow up into one of those imbecile young warriors who had visions of grandeur before his time. They would see to it that he grew up to be like Innya, who never got full of herself until she was useful. He would know what he was capable of and not overstep his boundaries. They would attempt to steer him clear of the times that Innya went through where she thought that no one could touch her because her parents always had to stop her violently when she went through times like that.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya meets the new girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still looking for a beta if anyone is interesting.


	12. Make It Your Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please do not use them without my permission.
> 
> A/N: warning for violence.

12: Make It Your Mission

“I heard tales of there being a new warrior pack,” Innya’s mother said as she and Innya watched Tonotec train with his grandfather. Tonotec was doing a good job of avoiding the dreaded rope, especially in the middle of the street where there were people, animals, and other things always coming by.

“Magic users. They were given my assignment,” Innya replied with a curl of her lip as she leaned against the left side doorjamb. She and her mother sat side by side in the doorway.

Her mother’s eyebrows shot up for a moment. “Magic users? You don’t come across many Wolves who practice magic anymore. We don’t usually have the capacity for whatever reason, especially for full-time use. Are they good?”

Innya waved the question off. “Not from what I’ve heard. They’re a stupid pack of kids that call themselves Star Killers.” The pack name was supposed to be their boasting of being able to kill transcendents, but as far as she knew they never managed that feat.

“Yet they failed at your mission I’ll bet,” her mother said.

That did not need to be said. “They failed horribly. The barrier spells were all gone. I could’ve run in there, snatched the Book, and been back by dinner. All they had to do was kill two transcendents who weren’t even the little transcendent. They were demolished. I could’ve killed those transcendents before they even knew that I was there,” Innya replied. (It would have been interesting had she actually gone on that assignment now that she looked back on it). The funny thing was that she did not really care that she did not get to go on the assignment after she heard about it. It was the principle of the matter.

Innya did not care about the King’s book. She did not know what was in it, did not know why transcendents wanted it. What she did know was that she had been entrusted to bring it back and if the assignment was given to her and she was still considered the best, she should be allowed to try again. No one told her she was not the best yet, so the assignment should be hers until she decided someone else should have a chance. And, someone else should be a Moon Thief, as they were the best warriors.

Her mother’s face scrunched up as she took in Innya’s words. “Wait a moment, they were beaten by transcendents who weren’t the little one?” 

“Yes.”

Her mother blew out a breath. “So, we have packs of useless brats now, huh?”

“It seems so.”

“Perhaps they’ll give the assignment back to you now.”

Innya snorted. “It doesn’t matter, Mom. I know you feel the strong magic coming from that direction because I can feel it. The barrier spells are back in place and they wasted a prime chance to collect that stupid book. I don’t care about the Book. That was just my excuse to chase and kill the little transcendent, but he isn’t even guarding the stupid thing.” She would rather stay and focus on Tonotec than run around the King’s stupid book.

A teasing smile spread on her mother’s face. “I don’t think you’ll ever kill that one.”

Innya arched an eyebrow. “Now, why would you say that, Mom?”

She shrugged. “He’s your challenge. The only real challenge you have left, aside from raising your son. One day Tonotec will be grown and you’ll need something to do. You can’t kill that one or you’ll get bored.”

“I will kill him,” Innya vowed, if she ever saw him again. 

She had not seen, smelled, or even heard about him since that night he risked his life to come see her long before Tonotec was born. He had been checking on her, she recalled the scarred idiot saying, and that was the last check he ever made. That was over five years ago and it plagued the back of her mind. Why had he not come to check again? What happened to him?

The little transcendent had told Innya that he understood why she desired to slay him. Everyone would have guessed it was easy enough to understand. She had a deep hatred of all transcendents, especially him. Innya and the transcendent were the only ones who knew the truth of why she wanted, almost needed to kill him. He never admitted to understanding until that night, though.

Why had he made such an admission? He had that transcendent girl. She had seen the couple reading by the river years ago. His life should have been grand, having the company of an intelligent, transcendent female who could keep up with him. Instead he understood her, which meant all was not well in his life. He knew things could never be the way he wanted them. 

If he ever came back to check on her, she would have demanded he explain himself, why he ran away, and why he understood her suddenly. Then she would solve two problems by killing him. Unless, he caught her unarmed again. She shook that thought away and focused on her son. He deserved all of her attention right now, even if she was not the one training him. She winced as soon as she focused on him.

“Oh, no! Get up or he’ll just hit you harder!” She might not be able to look as Tonotec took a blow to the knee and lost his footing. He was about to get hit in the back when he jumped up, rope in between his teeth. Innya smiled. He was going to be incredible one day, never useless like these other young idiots running around.

-8-8-8-8-

Youngsters seemed to plague Innya, even when she wanted nothing more than to put them out of her mind. Innya ran into someone who should not have been in her way, as she left her room on her way to the garden. It was someone she considered more annoying than Ashti, her husband’s new mistress. _What is this girl doing in my area?_

Innya had not bothered to learn the girl’s name at that point. And when she said girl, she meant _girl_. Innya was certain the girl still belonged to her parents as young as she was. Innya did not care about the girl’s name or age. What she did care about was the girl blocking her path in the hallway. _Her_ hallway.

“So, you’re the great killer. The big bad Wolf Innya, huh?” the girl asked as she looked down on Innya literally. She was taller than Innya, which was not something to brag about. Most people over the age of twelve were taller than Innya. Yet, the girl seemed to think her height was imposing to Innya.

“Yes,” Innya replied with the hope that would get the girl to move on her own.

With a smirk on her full lips, the girl tapped her chin. “Or so you were once upon a time.”

 _What the hell did I do that was so wrong to deserve such torture?_ Innya doubted she would ever know. Really, what had she done that was so bad that a young idiot who she could not kill at the moment without inviting misery into her life had been delivered to her? If someone had told Innya what it was, she would have actually apologized for whatever it was if that would get the King’s little girl out of her face.

“Move,” Innya said.

“You think just because you’re the King’s first wife you can order me around?” the girl asked. She really did not want to know the reason why Innya felt she could order a lot of people around because Innya would show her rather than tell her. It would probably teach the girl to stay out of her way.

“Move or else,” Innya said, gripping the sword over her shoulder. It would only be a matter of moments before she forgot that her husband was using the girl and she would “accidentally” kill the little whelp.

“Or else you’ll do what? I don’t think the King would—”

Innya did not allow her to finish her statement. Innya hit the girl in the belly with her knee before the girl even noticed. The young female fell to the floor in agony, thus clearing Innya’s path. Innya stepped over her as she clutched her stomach.

“See yourself out when you’re able to pick yourself up,” Innya said and continued on her way. “I hate youngsters,” she mumbled to herself as she went to check on her cub. He was in the garden, going through stances with his sword.

Her son had Innya changing her opinion on youngsters quickly. His determination to improve amazed her. She doubted she was as focused and devoted as he was at the age of five. No, she recalled at five, she still had a bit of childish playfulness left in her. She had still been running around with that little transcendent when she was five, giggling over his magic, wrestling with him, and nearly drowning more times than cubs should when they had two capable fathers watching them most of the time.

“Mother,” Tonotec said as he just noticed her watching him after a couple of minutes. He waited for her to instruct him since she was there.

“Let’s go see your grandmother and grandfather,” Innya said instead of drilling him. He worked himself enough and he could use a break. A break meant he would stop practicing alone and his grandfather would push him around. 

“All right,” he answered, almost like he had to bite his tongue. 

There were times when he wanted to express more emotion than she allowed, but he almost always checked that desire. He would like to cheer about going to see his grandparents, but he knew better. Innya would not stand for any emotional outbursts from him and he knew that without having to be told.

Tonotec placed his sword back in the sheath. Innya had recently gotten the blade made especially for him. It was a narrow broad sword with nothing truly special about it, except that it was his first real weapon. He would outgrow it soon, so she did not see the point in getting him anything worthwhile.

The pair went to see Innya’s parents and did the things they usually did while there. Innya went to train while Tonotect ran errands with her mother. When they got back, Tonotec switched grandparents. Her father ran Tonotec around while Innya spoke with her mother. They stuck around for dinner and then returned to the palace to sit at the King’s table. 

The King stared at Innya and her cub throughout dinner. Innya did not acknowledge her husband’s golden eyes. If he had a problem with what she had done, he would have to say something, which he did once dinner was over.

The King grabbed Innya so roughly that he earned a menacing growl from Tonotec. The King ignored his angry son and dragged his first wife out into the garden. He flung her loose, trying to make her fall over, but she easily maintained her balance. He glared at her.

“You may have my cub and you may be raising him excellently, but this is still my home,” the King said, as if she did not know those things.

“If you don’t want me here being myself then send me home,” Innya replied. She and Tonotec would love that.

He curled his top lip. “Is that what this is all about? Are we back to this mess again?”

“No, but that’s the only solution besides killing me. Feel free to try to kill me if you like,” Innya invited him with a smile, which caused him to frown.

“You cannot just disrespect my guests—”

She held up her index finger to stop him. “Do you honestly think I’m going to let some wannabe push me around? I’m Innya, the best Moon Thief in this tribe. I was deadly before she was thought about. No girl’s going to disrespect me to my face. I don’t care who she is.”

He was silent for a moment, like he did not want to argue anything she said. “Did you have to hit her?” 

“I could’ve killed her, but I was feeling nice this morning. Tell her to stay out of my side of the palace.”

“Your side?” he inquired.

“What business does she have by my room or my cub’s room? None. Tell her to keep away or I’m going to treat her as a threat to my cub. I’ll let you guess what’ll happen if I see her in that light,” Innya replied.

“She’s just as free as you.”

Innya arched an eyebrow. “Really? So, you didn’t demand her from her parents?”

“She belongs to herself.”

Innya held in a scoff. That girl looked like she was about fifteen. “That’s a shame. Her parents cut her loose too soon. If she gets in my way again, she’ll belong to eternity. At least I know I won’t be destroying your property.” She sneered.

A deep groan escaped him, like she was bothering him. “I thought I’d curb this attitude of yours. Why can’t you just be compliant like my other wives?” the King inquired. 

Innya held in a laugh. She loved annoying him, especially when he showed she was bothering him. He brought this on himself, after all. _Be careful what you wish for and all that_.

“Because, unlike them, I’m not here voluntarily. Also, one’s afraid of you and the other one’s, for some stupid reason that’s beyond me, deeply in love with you. I’m neither of those things. Keep your little pet away from me or our next encounter won’t be so pleasant. I don’t have the patience for this nonsense, especially with such a useless bitch.” Innya turned to leave.

“Innya,” he growled her name as usual.

“What?” she huffed without bothering to turn around.

“Maybe the next encounter won’t be so pleasant for _you_.”

Innya could not help laughing as she walked away. If she got paid for every person who believed they could defeat her, she would have been a wealthy assassin a long time ago. The King was a funny man, not that he knew that. He tried to scold her for putting his pet in her place and he continued to underestimate her talent so much it was almost odd he wanted to breed with her. He had no clue what he had married when he had married her and she wondered if he would ever learn.

“Mother,” Tonotec said. He had waited for Innya to return. He did not move around much without his mother’s permission.

“Yes?” Innya replied as they walked off toward their rooms.

“May I ask what Father wanted?”

“He wanted to make me laugh. He succeeded.”

Tonotec squinted, trying to figure out what that meant. “Why would he want to make you laugh?”

“Because I put his pet in her place,” she answered.

Tonotec shook his head. He was so lost. “He has a pet? What is it?”

“You’ll understand when you get older, Tonotec.”

Tonotec took that answer in silence. Innya was shocked he had even dared to inquire about her interaction with his father, but obviously what he witnessed rubbed him the wrong way. Tonotec was too attached to her. She never wanted him to worry about her. That was not his duty. All he had to do was become a better person than she was. Whatever happened to her was her business, not his.

“Tonotec,” Innya said.

“Yes, Mother?” he replied.

“I’m not your concern, ever. You’re my concern, not the other way around.”

His eyebrows bent in toward each other. “That’s not true at all, Mother. Grandfather says I’m to watch you because I’m the only male always around you.”

She frowned at that. How dare her father tell him that! She did not need protection, especially not exclusive male protection. She could take down any male who came at her, except the King and she was sure that would change some day. She was not some delicate little flower and her father should know that.

“You’re five. You can watch me all you want once you can kill me,” Innya said.

“Promise?” he asked and she gave him an odd look. He wanted to look after her. Her father had made him too attached to her by telling him to look after her. Innya could understand why her father would say such a thing. He was aging and his back was making that more apparent. He would not always be there for her, but she wished he waited until Tonotec was older than five to make that request.

“Moon Thieves don’t make promises. Our word’s always good enough.”

“All right, then my word’ll always be good enough.”

Innya nodded. It was a weird conversation, but she liked it. If Tonotec really had any desire to “watch” her since he was the only male around her, then he would do his best in training, so that he would be able to kill her one day. _Thanks Dad for making this whole thing weird_. 

Her parents had motivated her that way in a sense. Her father had told her that she had to be able to kill them in case something happened to one of them, then she would be able to watch the other one. Funny thing was while Innya was able to kill her parents if she tried hard enough, she still did not feel she would be able to take care of them if they needed her like that. She was still rather dependent on them in a way. She did not want that for Tonotec.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya did not worry much about Tonotec’s training after their exchange. He practiced most of the time without being told until he was ready to collapse or she stopped him. There were times when he would demand his mother instruct him in order for him to perfect his technique and master his sword. His determination was adorable, or so said Innya’s mother a number of times. Innya had to admit his movements were like art.

Even at a young age, Tonotec moved like water. He flowed in a way Innya never could. Where she was sharp and edgy, he was fluid and almost floated. She was nearly envious as she watched him go through his motions in the garden. It was almost time for them to head out for the day.

“That’s your cub?” a voice inquired that caused Innya to frown. How dare this bitch invade her space yet again?

“I see you didn’t heed my warning. Is it that you like pissing blood?” Innya asked her husband’s young mistress. She had heard that the girl’s abdomen took quite a while to heal, but it was hard to fix stupid.

The girl sniffed. “You don’t own the garden.” She ignored the second thing posed to her.

Innya did not bother to look at the youngster. If she paid the girl that much attention, it would result in the girl somehow being split in half vertically. She had already done something idiotic by acknowledging the girl point blank. _Yeah, I guess you can’t fix stupid because you keep doing this_.

“Perhaps I don’t, but it would serve you best to get out of my presence,” Innya tried to warn the girl. She hated that no one in the palace, with the exception of the servants, heeded her warnings. 

The girl chuckled, showing off her fangs. “Why? Don’t want a real warrior to tell you how sloppy your cub is?”

Innya inhaled through her nose, keeping calm. If the girl continued speaking, she would not even give the girl the usual two choices of apologizing or dying. Innya would just have little choice in murdering the female next to her if she continued to insult her cub. 

Innya knew early on that she, with her short temper, was not the best person to be a mother for the simple fact that she would want to protect her cub, like any mother. But, she would be much too sensitive about her cub and a lot of people would more than likely die pointless deaths. That had not happened because most people had the common sense to not insult her cub.

“Does the King know you’ve raised his cub to be so soft?” the girl inquired.

Innya was about to hit her tolerance level. “How large is the group of Star Killers?”

“Fifty. Why?”

“I was just curious about how many people would care that you’re dead, that’s all,” Innya answered. To Innya, talking about killing someone, even to that person’s face was like another person talking about how a certain food was bland. She put very little emotional stock in her words because it was nothing to her to kill a person, especially if she believed the person deserved it.

“More than you, I’m sure. Especially your damn cub.”

Innya drew her sword on her side. She was surprised when the girl managed to block her with her sword. Innya quickly returned her blade to its scabbard. The girl laughed and did the same. It would seem she thought she did something impressive.

“It’s not so easy. See, Star Killers are the new warriors. You Moon Thieves are just getting too old,” the girl said.

Innya scoffed. “Any group with fifty members in this tribe is just waiting to fail. That’s way too many people for things to go sour.”

The girl scowled and then gave her a challenging stare. “Oh, really? And how many Moon Thieves are there?”

“You’d know if you were a Moon Thief, but you’d never pass the tests to make it in. You’re not even good enough to serve as a Moon Thief’s footrest. You’re just like the rest of them,” Innya said.

“Who?”

“Young warriors. You’re mostly useless and you have chosen the wrong career. You’re all just too stupid to be useful.” She was done with this nonsense. “Tonotec.”

He did not stop his movements. “Yes, Mother?” 

“What’s the main reason a majority of warriors don’t live to see a hundred?”

“Stupidity,” he answered as if that was the obvious response.

Innya turned her attention back to the girl. “And he figured that out all on his own and he’s just five. After stupidity, though, I’d be the next reason why young warriors don’t live long enough to figure life out. Don’t try my patience, little girl. Just because you’re my husband’s new bed buddy doesn’t make you anything to me. You’ve gone out of your way to be an annoyance. I won’t go out of my way to kill you because you’ll already be there.” Time to be done with this whole thing. “Tonotec.”

“Yes, Mother?” he replied.

“Come.” Innya turned to leave.

“Are you running away? I thought you were the Big Bad Wolf,” the girl taunted her. 

Innya chuckled. She could not believe how eager the girl was to die. She smirked and Tonotec noticed his mother’s expression, so he wisely stepped out of her way. He watched while his mother unsheathed her sword almost at an unseen speed. She had her weapon to the girl’s throat before Tonotec even blinked. The girl’s eyes were wide as she was caught reaching for her weapon.

“You’re not made of brick, girl. I can huff and puff and blow you away,” Innya said and then she put her sword away. “Stick to lying underneath the King because it’s a more promising job than the one you’ve appointed yourself.”

“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?” the girl sneered.

“Mother,” Tonotec said because he obviously saw a spark in his mother’s eye that he never saw before. 

Innya hated having lies thrown in her face. She had no choice when she had to lie underneath the King. She had not enjoyed it. Sometimes, it scratched at the edges of her brain, attempting to disturb her life.

Innya turned around and cut the girl along her belly. She did not draw any blood, but shredded the girl’s silk shirt. As Innya sheathed her sword for the third time and left the girl frozen with fear for the second time, it hit her that the girl wore royal silk. The girl had on the best leather boots. Even her sword was more expensive than any weapon Innya had seen a warrior carry. The King obviously spoiled the girl rotten. He was not going to be pleased when Innya killed her and that girl was begging for it.

“Come, Tonotec,” Innya ordered. Her son was as stunned as the girl. They were both just staring at the ruined shirt with amazed faces.

Innya did not have to repeat herself. Her cub followed her as she exited the garden. The pair went to the Pit after trying to visit Innya’s parents, but found the couple was not home. They both probably got assignments and a fellow Moon Thief at the Pit confirmed that. In fact, Innya and Tonotec had missed the couple by a matter of minutes. _If only I hadn’t fooled around with that stupid girl_.

“Can we find out when Grandmother and Grandfather will be back?” Tonotec asked.

Innya nodded. “I’ll ask around the Pit.”

He accepted that and looked around. “Mother, will you fight?” Sometimes, she brought him there and they observed others fight with her pointing out what things were good and bad about the match for him.

“Let’s see.” Innya surveyed the crowd and then she spotted a group of warriors in the middle of the Pit, which was sort of her space. She smirked. “Yes, Tonotec, I’ll fight.”

Innya took on the group of five young warriors. She did not even have to challenge them. They stepped to her like most youngsters. They were different, though. She could feel the vibe from them as their crew all smirked her. _Magic makes them even worse_. 

“You want some of this, bitch?” One of the guys cupped him and stick his tongue out at her.

“I think I do.” She charged him and cut him down with ease. 

The other four attacked her. She dropped three of them, but they had put up a better fight than most young warriors she fought. _Maybe I’m getting old_.

“Look at this old bat,” a girl said and she waved her hand, cutting Innya with an unseen force.

Innya rolled her eyes and rushed the girl. She gasped and flung both of her hands out, impacting Innya with an invisible force. It was like being hit with two boulders in the chest. She was stunned long enough for the other three to get back up to finish her off. She beat them back, but the girl flung her hand out again, slicing through Innya’s cheek. The others were back on her, hitting her in the ribs with their own invisible force. _Damn magic_. But, this was good for Tonotec to see, to understand magic existed, and he could start thinking how he might handle it.

“You’re no match for us! You and your Moon Thieves are the past, turning to dust thanks to us,” the girl said with a laugh. “You’re nothing more than the royal whore. The King’s punching bag.”

Innya scoffed. “This is a joke and you think too highly of yourself.” _How dare this pup act so high and mighty!_ She grabbed one of the warriors and flung him at the rest. They went back flying, and not by magic either.

“You think you’re all that? You’re nothing more than a boil on society. You come here like you’re the queen, but we all know you’re nothing more than the King’s weak fuck toy,” the girl said. “You’re just holes for him to fill when he’s bored and slumming it.”

Innya snapped at the girl, who flung her hands out again, trying to hold Innya back. Innya’s stomach twisted and knotted against itself as magic licked at her insides. She forced her way through the magic. She had faced so much worse. The girl gasped as Innya was in her face and her sword went through the girl’s throat.

Tonotec gasped, but probably did not completely understand what happened. He was highly entertained, eyes wide and bright. That was good, in the sense, he knew a good fight. But, he had not been exposed to magic to completely grasp what he saw.

Innya could only take so much from some little girl who probably was not even of drinking age. She saw her son smile when her blade slid in and out of the girl’s body. The girl’s friends tried to jump on her, stun her with magic, but now she was not interested in playing with them. She put them on their asses, even as they tried to halt her with their magic.

Innya sucked her teeth after the battle. “You’re all way too dependent on magic,” she said as she wiped away blood from her nose. _Damn magic poisoning_. She should be fine, might just feel nauseated for a little while, but nothing serious. So, she returned to her cub.

“Not as good as they looked?” Tonotec asked. He could probably tell she was dissatisfied with the match.

“They were good, but that was the problem,” Innya answered. She needed more than that.

“Will I ever be mad because my opponents were good, but not good enough?”

“Of course, but then you can always fight me,” she assured him.

“And you can always fight Grandmother and Grandfather.”

That was true. Innya turned her attention to a warrior approaching her. She hated to be approached by people she did not know now. They were always seen as a threat to her son and she thought one day she was going to kill somebody just for walking up on her. Even she knew that was an overreaction. The warrior that came over was a young one, trim and tan. Tonotec looked up at the warrior as if questioning what he was doing within ten feet of his mother. Yes, her cub was just as bad as she was when it came to strangers.

“You’ll regret that,” the warrior informed her while pointing to the girl Innya had killed. Her friends were too injured to collect her.

Innya shrugged. “If you like I could send you with her, if that’s the problem anyway. I don’t know why you younger idiots think it’s a smart idea to try embarrassing me. The older idiots know better. You guys are just lucky that you didn’t piss me off.”

“That was our leader’s little sister.”

“If she wants to avenge her sister’s death, she should come looking for me. I’m always around. Come, Tonotec, this is a waste of all of our time,” Innya said.

Innya left with her son by her side. She did not think too much of the events in the Pit, but she hated how one insignificant thing always led to disaster in her life. She watched Tonotec practice both with his sword and with a pen and they read together to pass the time while waiting for her parents to return from their missions. Typically, her parents would send word when they returned or someone at the Pit would tell her if her parents were back, but there was silence for longer than she liked.

Once a week passed and her parents had not returned, Innya got worried. Her mother never took more than a week to complete an assignment and even that was stretching things. Her mother took care of business and came back, especially since the birth of Tonotec. Her mother loved spending time with him. Innya decided that she better go check the house.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: what Innya finds at home changes her life forever.


	13. In the Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do now these characters. Please, do not use them without my permission.
> 
> A/N: lots of violence throughout this chapter.

13: In the Moonlight

Innya grabbed her cub and they set out for her parents’ house. There was a crowd outside of the little structure when they got there. No way that was good. Innya for the first time in years picked Tonotec for more than a few seconds and forced her way through the crowd like a mad bull. Just as she got to the door, a man she knew was a doctor exited the house. She knew him and knew he never visited her house because they had no use for a doctor. _No way Dad’s back drew a crowd like this_.

“What happened?” Innya demanded, glaring the doctor down.

The doctor blinked like an owl. “Oh, Innya.” 

“What happened!” she hollered.

“Your father’s just fallen deathly ill.”

“What the hell do you mean?” Innya screamed, her voice shaking the house. Her father had always been the healthiest one in their family. She had never even heard the man sneeze before. Sure, he had back pains every now and then, but that did not mean he was sick. What did the doctor mean he was ‘deathly ill?’ It did not make any sense.

“He’s dying,” the doctor answered to push what she deluded herself to believe was a misunderstanding at best and a lie at worst.

“You’re lying!” Her father would never die! Her mother would scold him until he lived. Anyone who knew them knew that.

The doctor shook his head. “Innya, I’m sorry, but he’s going to die.”

“Then do something!” She pushed him, almost knocking him over. “You’re a doctor!”

He caught himself and held up his hands in surrender. “I can’t. He’s not fighting the illness. He wants to die.”

Innya blinked. What the hell madness was this man talking about? “Why?” she asked. Why would make him want to die and leave her mother alone in the house? He knew his wife needed him.

He squinted as he looked at her like she was stupid. “You mean you don’t know?” he asked. She did not like his tone. He was obviously about to ruin her day even more, which she would have thought was impossible until she got the news.

She swallowed hard to stay calm. “Know what?”

“Your mother… She died on her assignment.”

The world tilted. Everything was sideways, backwards. That was a lie. Her mother could not be dead. Her mother was strong and healthy. No one, no thing, nothing could kill her mother. Her mother was never supposed to die.

“You’re lying!” she snarled and she raised her hand, ready to kill the doctor with one blow for just saying such things.

“Innya, please.” The doctor flinched, putting his shoulder up for protection while his tone begged for her to understand, but how was she supposed to understand? 

Her mother could not be dead. She still needed her mother! She still needed her parents, so her mother could not be dead and her father could not be dying. It did not make any sense!

“What happened?” Innya asked in a low voice. Her lungs burned for air, but she ignored them. She was not important right now. Her family needed her focus, her attention.

Tonotec shifted, resting his head against her shoulder. She had even forgotten she was holding him until he moved. He was not crying because of the news, but she had a feeling he did not want her to see his face. He should not be hearing this, but what was she supposed to do? She needed to know what happened to her mother!

“Her body was found in the woods about a day’s walk from here, not too long ago. When your father found out, he couldn’t take it. He complained of chest pains and he could barely breathe. He hasn’t been able to move since then. His breathing has gotten worse and his pulse grows weaker by the second. He keeps muttering how it can’t be true, but he knows. She appears to have died of natural causes, even though she was healthy. I think your father intends to follow her.”

“Wait here for me,” Innya instructed the doctor. He knew just like anyone else if he did not heed her words, he would suffer.

Innya put Tonotec down. She let him decide for himself to follow her inside and see his grandfather or stay behind. Tonotec entered behind her without hesitating. They went to her parents’ bedroom and they saw her father lying in bed looking feebler than she could have imagined.

Innya could not believe she was looking at the Wolf who raised her and taught her to be deadly. He was pale, like chalk white, and blankets strewn about him as if they fell from the sky. The hollow of his throat sunk in deep every few seconds as he took slow, deep breaths. A wheezing sound whistled through the room. She had never associated a sound with death, but she knew that sound would haunt her. 

Sweat rolled off her father as if he was burning up from some heat, but when she touched his bare arm, he was so cold. She fixed his blankets as he had them only covering him half way. She pulled the blanket up to his chin before finding the courage to speak.

“Daddy, what are you doing?” Innya inquired. She did not care if she had said “daddy” or that her son was in earshot to pick up what she considered a bad habit. There was too much happening for her to care about something as petty as a term of endearment at the moment.

“Your mother,” he managed to say. His voice was low, scratchy, and rattled out of him. He winced and inhaled like he needed all the air in the world. The way his exhale wheezed out of him, though, no amount of air would work.

“I heard.”

“Murdered.”

“What?” She did not understand what he meant because surely he could be implying that someone was powerful enough to murder his wife. Impossible.

“Magic…” he forced the word out.

Innya’s jaw tensed. “Someone with magic killed Mommy?”

“Yes.”

Innya snarled; a fool magic user dared to kill her mother. “Tonotec.”

“Yes, Mother?” the child answered.

“I’m about to ask a lot of you. I’m putting all of my faith in you.”

“How?” he asked in a confused tone. Oh, she was about to put so much on his little shoulders, but she had to.

“You have to watch your grandfather for me and you have to make sure he lives through the night.” While it was a lot to ask of the cub, she had faith her father would have the good manners to not die right in front of his grandson on his own.

“Yes, Mother,” he accepted without hesitating. For a moment, she doubted he understood his task, but she trusted her son more than she trusted anyone at the moment.

“Good,” Innya said and then she turned her attention back to her father. “Dad, you will live for at least the next day. I’ll avenge you and Mom before tomorrow night and then you can join her if that’s your wish.”

What seemed to be a smile settled on her father’s purple, cracked lips. “Good daughter.”

Innya marched out of the house, body humming with energy. It did not even bother her now that she was entrusting her dying father to her five-year-old son. He would handle the situation despite his age. She returned to the doctor.

“Where’s my mother’s body?” Innya demanded. What the hell kind of magic could kill her mother and come across as natural causes?

“I’ll take you to her,” the doctor answered.

“Good.”

Innya followed the doctor to his office, which was located a distance from her house since he practiced in one of the better neighborhoods in the village. Her mother’s body was on a table covered by a sheet. Innya removed the white covering and inspected the corpse. She had to block her feelings as she stared at her mother. Once so proud and strong, now pale and deceased. Innya could feel the magic that her father spoke of. Anyone trained to sense magic would have picked it up. It was powerful, flooding her senses, but it was not the thing that bothered her the most. The scent on the body caught Innya’s attention and sparked her fury like never before. _I know that damn smell_.

“Oh, there will be Hell to pay for this,” Innya growled. She turned to the doctor. “Tell me, were there any other bodies around or close to my mother?”

“No,” he answered.

“That’s really interesting. What about scents of death?”

“No, just the usual scents around that part of the woods. But, now that I think about it, it was a little unusual.”

“Why do you say that?”

“We could smell blood, but it was faint and one of your mother’s friends…” He frowned, knowing that was not the word he wanted. “Well, she said none of your mother’s knives were on her.”

“You don’t say.” Her mother concealed almost two dozen sharp projectiles in case of an emergency. Apparently, there was one.

“And while there’s not a mark on her, there was so much internal bleeding. I’ve never seen anything like it. She clearly wasn’t ill. Honestly, we should all be so lucky to be like her when we reach her age. She shouldn’t be dead,” the doctor said.

Innya nodded. “Thank you, sir.” She took her leave and she walked to the Pit. She went over to a few Moon Thieves. They must not have heard about her parents. If they had, they would not have been practicing while their comrades, their mentors were dead. But, why should they know when she had only just found out?

“Innya?” Menoa said when he saw how vexed she looked. The two others, Finta and Xo, stood behind him.

“We’re going to war, brothers,” Innya announced.

Finta smiled. “That’s nice, we really like war. Why and with who?”

“Star Killers,” she answered.

Menoa gasped. “Fellow Wolves? They’re not so bad, Innya—”

“Don’t you dare say that to me!” Innya barked in fury, which took her comrades back because they were not used to being targets for her rage. “They murdered my mother,” she said through gritted teeth.

“What?” the three warriors asked as if they did not understand. Innya could understand because she did not comprehend it at first either.

“Those young bucks murdered the great Polania? It can’t be possible,” Finta shook her head. “No one could… No one could ever… How?” Finta snarled and her eyes went wild. She sounded as if they had killed his mother and not Innya’s.

“First, they get an assignment that belonged to one of ours, they walk around the Pit like they own this stink hole, and then they have the nerve, the _balls_ to kill one of the greatest Moon Thieves our pack has ever known. They have taken our blood from us, our Moon from us. War, no, Innya. We’re not going to war, we’re going to slaughter them like butchers and they’re lambs,” Xo vowed, a scowl cut across his face.

Menoa nodded, sold on the idea, even though he usually tried to de-escalate situations. “It’s about time we taught them and any other useless little cubs not to test us. They’ll be examples.”

“More than that, as they’ve taken a great one from us. They’ll be cautionary tales marked in our legend,” Finta said.

“Yes, they practically begged us for this. We’re Moon Thieves and I say it’s time we acted like it. We won’t let them push us around. They’re not as special as they think they are and they’re useless. Their magic isn’t top notch. They just happen to be surrounded by Wolves not used to magic. I could sense it all over my mother’s body. So many different people to bring down one bitch, they’re more than useless,” Innya commented. 

Any decent magic user would have been able to at least disguise their magic to avoid being caught, but it hummed through her. They just overwhelmed her mother, jumped her with their magic. The whole pack basically dropped a mountain on her mother from a safe distance and her mother probably still wounded several of them. An entire miserable pack to end one grand life. _And they’ll pay for denying her a warrior’s death_.

“Then let’s go rally the troops and take out the trash.” They all punched their fists into their palms.

“Yeah, I’ll take care of the few here and then I have to go see a very special person,” Innya said with a crooked smile.

The Moon Thieves nodded and dashed off. Innya turned her attention to the young group in the middle of the Pit. She whistled loudly to catch the group’s attention. They turned as if on command. They were about to suffer some unspeakable pain.

“Star Killers, right?” Innya asked them as if she did not know. She could practically smell the magic that burned in their veins. One had a fresh scar on his cheek. Could it have been from her mother’s throwing knives?

The scarred one smirked. “Yeah, so? What does an old lady like you want to know for?”

“I can just sense magic in you and how it’s coating my mother. How the hell did you kill her?” Innya demanded.

“Kill who?”

Innya was out of patience seeing as how her mother was dead and her father was dying. She did not have time to play around with little morons. She pulled her sword on the group of five. 

She snarled. “I’ll make you little brats tell as I take you apart piece by piece.”

The group chuckled at her until she killed two of them, even though they had blocked her sword. She cut through them and their weapons. She was not playing around anymore and she was not in the mood for games. They would all witness why she was the greatest Moon Thief and then like all of the others that had seen her as an assassin, they would perish. She turned her attention to the three remaining warriors.

“Somebody better start talking or you’ll look like your little friends,” Innya informed them. Bodies laid headless not even two feet from them.

“Get her!”

The trio attacked Innya and tried to force her back. She snarled and sliced through their weapons as she had done their friends. She cut off a head, but not in the usual way. She did not go for the across the neck cut, no. She had made an “x” through his head with her sword. Then she forced her sword into the chest of another and she smirked as he gasped in both pain and surprise. She held her sword in place and turned to the talkative one.

“So, how did you kill my mother?” Innya inquired. She had a feeling she knew, but she wanted confirmation. 

“You’re nothing,” he replied.

“Wrong answer, bastard!” She split the fellow she had in half to rid herself of the useless trash. She turned to the last one and he was dead before she even realized it; she had disemboweled him with ease.

Innya fumed as she went through the village destroying warriors who she knew were Star Killers. She would later reflect that no one deserved what she had done to those kids, but they should not have touched her mother of all people. She had crossed a line, but they had pushed her there. It did not excuse her cruelty, but she would have slaughtered them no matter what and dead was dead.

She took a roundabout route to the palace. She made it there when night set in and she idly cleaned her sword off of all the blood that covered it like a sheath. Her hands were bloody, too, but she did not bother to clean them. She sniffed out the special person she had a meeting with and found her in the King’s bedroom.

Innya pushed the doors in and they fell down. She did not care. The King and his young mistress turned their attention to a very pissed Innya. They were looking at the closest thing to a demon and they did not even know it. She calmly strolled over to the bed and pointed her sword at the girl.

“Get dressed,” Innya ordered the girl in a dead serious tone.

“What’s wrong?” the girl asked with a smirk.

“You get dressed before I just kill you in this damn bed and all the damn King will be able to do is watch or I’ll kill him, too. Then I’ll send your mutilated body to your parents and force them to eat you,” Innya growled. She wanted to do that so bad. She would fed this bitch to her own parents and then kill them for making this stupid bitch. She wanted to kill the whole family, disappear their whole line.

“She’s upset,” the King whispered to his lover.

“Don’t,” Innya warned him. He had no clue how close he was to dying that night, too. He had made this monster. He had a hand in her mother’s death as well. He had helped take greatness not only from this world, but from his own son. What a fool.

He arched an eyebrow. “Oh, you will also kill me?” 

“Yes,” she promised him and she meant. She did not know how, but she knew she would scrap together all the strength necessary to end him.

“She’s got nerve,” the girl commented.

“I’ll have your ass if you don’t get out of this damn bed! Get dressed, so I can kill you properly, even though you didn’t allot my mother such an honor,” Innya said.

“Her mother?” the King echoed. She might have to kill him just because he would not shut up.

“You killed my sister,” the girl replied as if Innya really cared. The whole point of everything was that her mother was dead and her father was dying. She did not care about anything else.

“I killed so many of your Star Killers to get here. What the hell makes you think I care about your sister? Your Star Killers are being destroyed as we speak by Moon Thieves because you’re all useless.”

“You’re useless! My sister didn’t deserve it,” the girl hissed.

“She was more than likely useless and probably deserved worse. You’ll join her in a moment if you only get dressed. After all, you were so desperate to fight the big bad Wolf. You wanted to die so badly. I’m granting your wish now,” Innya replied.

“So, you’re going to huff and puff and blow me away?” the girl sneered. She was not the smartest of all people as Innya thought about it or she really wanted to not be alive anymore.

“Outside,” Innya ordered and then she jumped out of the window into the garden below.

Innya paced the area until the girl appeared in front of her, opting to walk through the garden doors rather than leaping from the second story window. The girl had on her usual royal silks and smirked at Innya. Innya was ready to split the stupid girl from navel to nose without ever learning the girl’s name. She knew enough about the little fool, too much really. But, she needed to know the name of the girl to curse it daily for murdering her parents.

“You have deprived my cub of the greatest educators that I ever knew. My parents still had good years left in them,” Innya said, trying her best not to outright snarl and lodge her fangs in the moron’s throat.

“Parents?” the girl echoed. Innya counted her responsible for her father’s death because he would be fine if her mother was not dead. His heart was not ready to lose her.

“What do you call yourself?” Innya said.

The girl looked at her with narrow eyes. “You mean you don’t know?” she asked, like she could hardly believe it. 

Innya had never bothered to learn what her name was. It never mattered to her. Besides, once she learned the girl was the leader of the Star Killers, she referred to her as “the fool leader of those kids” if she was ever talking about her or her group. But, she would never think about the Star Killers again after this.

“I don’t repeat myself,” Innya told the girl.

“Kalycha.”

Innya’s upper lip curled. She hated everything about this girl. “Your name even pisses me off. How did you kill my mother?”

“I’ll take it to the grave.”

“Good since that’s where I’m planning to send you, anyway. This only gives me all the more reason to kill you,” Innya said.

“You talk a good game.”

Innya shook her head. “You know why you shouldn’t have fifty people in your group? There’s always going to be someone very weak in that group, just on average. That’s just too many people for someone to not be weak.”

Kalycha snarled. “What the hell is your point?”

“One of your little, weak friends cried like the baby he was, hoping I’d spare his life for information. I listened and then I stole his eyes from him for crying. Then I crushed his head with my bare hands.” Innya held up her bloody hands. “You wouldn’t know him if you saw him now. A few others of your crybaby group confirmed what he told me. They got to die afterwards also. I’ll make you beg me for death for the cowardly way you killed my mother.”

“You killed my little sister,” Kalycha replied.

“You’ll join her.”

“You don’t even know who she was.”

Innya scoffed. “She was the stupid bitch I killed last week because she called me the royal punching bag, whore, and some other things I won’t bother to get into. I remember her, so I know. See, the difference here is that she died honorably in a fair fight and if you wanted revenge, you were supposed to come see me. But, no, you stupid cowardly little cubs couldn’t even do that right. You had to kill my mother disgracefully. I wouldn’t be as pissed had you at least killed her honorably. If you had faced her, given her a proper battle, even if she had nothing to do with our problems. A mother for a sister isn’t a fair trade, especially when one had nothing to do with the other.” 

Did these damn cubs not know anything about honor? Did they not know how to do anything properly? Useless was being kind. They had thrown all warrior norms to the wayside. They had spat on the warrior code and culture.

“I’m sick of talking,” the girl announced.

“You aren’t the only one,” Innya replied.

Innya held her sword up and the King stepped into the garden to see the fight begin. The two warriors clashed swords and came so close to each other trying to force the other back that their noses touched. Kalycha ended up pushing Innya back.

“The big bad Wolf is too old. She’s weak,” Kalycha laughed.

Innya did not reply because she was seriously sick of talking. The girl was too full of herself. She seemed to think that being able to push Innya back once meant something. It was not an accomplishment.

The pair clashed weapons again. The King’s face did not twitch as he watched, like he thought it was a stalemate. Then Kalycha used her magic and threw a fireball at Innya. The older warrior barely dodged, heat licking at her cheeks, and she jumped back at her opponent so they could engage with their weapons again.

“Not as easy as you thought, huh?” Kalycha asked as she hit Innya with a blue flame. Innya did not even flinch as she absorbed it. The girl had so much to learn about Moon Thieves. 

Kalycha gasped and stared at her with wide eyes. Innya was ready to truly shock the little bitch. And the King, too, if his gawking meant anything.

“What the hell?” The girl’s face twisted.

“I can absorb magic, especially when it’s this weak,” Innya said. Yes, she might get magic poisoning, but it would take more than that to stop her. “My mother was the same way. So, you had to use your most powerful spell on her that didn’t leave a mark and as weak as you are, you had to use it more than once with a gaggle of idiots backing you up.” Fifty fucking idiots.

“You’re the weak one!” Kalycha screamed and she forced the assassin back again. She hit Innya with an invisible force that knocked Innya to the ground.

“This isn’t even fun,” Innya said as she started to stand back up.

“I’ll kill you just like I did that bitch!” Kalycha hit Innya a second time with the invisible wave.

Innya was blasted back again and forced to the ground. She could see her husband was entertained, smiling over the battle. She hated being his monkey and she wished she had the time to go after him. He would have to wait. She had better things to do than to be angry with him. Kalycha laughed like a madman, obviously thinking she had the upper hand. Innya saw no reason to shatter the girl’s world just yet.

Innya climbed to her feet using her sword to assist her in the task. Her vest was torn in half diagonally thanks to the two hits, revealing her white undershirt, quickly staining with her blood. She stood with her blade tightly in hand and waited for the next attack. She ignored the fact that she was bleeding from her shoulder. She was already covered in blood anyway, so a little more would not hurt, even though the other blood was not her own.

“What? How?” Kalycha stared at Innya in disbelief. She could not believe Innya managed to stand.

“No, this certainly wasn’t the spell you used on my mother. See, it didn’t leave a mark like this.” Innya motioned to her shoulder, which had a deep gash in it. Her mother had not even been bruised, proving she fought magic even better than Innya and yet she was still dead thanks to this bitch and her pack.

“This makes no sense! You’re a freak, just like your mother!”

“No, we just happen to be well trained Moon Thieves.”

“You’re dead!” The girl screamed as she pointed at Innya and an invisible force charged toward the bleeding assassin.

Innya could sense the force coming toward her, but she could not hope to move in time and she did not even bother to try. She took the blast since she could not figure it out to stop it. She absorbed it like it was nothing, but she coughed up blood afterwards. The girl smirked at her. She must have known what it meant for her opponent to be coughing up blood.

“Suffering from a little magic poisoning?” Kalycha inquired.

“Very little.” More than she thought she would. “You’re not strong enough to make me really suffer,” Innya replied. There was an itch in her lungs and down her nerves. If it went on long enough, she would want to peel off her skin to scratch. Damn magic poisoning.

The girl smirked at her. “Really? What happens if I give you a larger dose of what you just got?”

Kalycha did not give her the time to respond, which was good. Innya did not have anything to say anyway. The girl launched her spell at Innya again and once again, Innya absorbed it, even though she knew what it was now. She did not have the power to stop it. Magic was necessary to stop magic and she had very little magic in her body. Absorbing it once the magic poisoning started was not wise.

Blood streamed from Innya’s nose and mouth. The urge to vomit was hard to suppress, but she managed it. She had forgotten the harsher effects of magic poisoning, as it had been such a long time since she felt it to such a degree, but drowning in one’s own blood was on the list and she seemed to be doing just that. How long would it take the girl to leave her swimming in her own life force? At least that would make things interesting.

Part of Innya wanted to drew this out and torture the girl. It was just once all of the Star Killers were dead, what was next? Her mother was still gone. Her father probably was not going to survive. She got justice, but it would not replace what she lost. Nothing that happened here would change anything, but she could not let this go by.

“How the hell are you even still standing? Take this!” the girl yelled.

Kalycha launched an even larger version of her spell, which was not good for Innya since she could not even stop a little spell. She was caught in a force that whipped through her and tried to tear away at her flesh. She growled. The attempt still seemed so pathetic to her and it angered her that such a weak bitch would dare to kill her mother. 

Innya surprised both her opponent and husband by charging forward. She swung her blade to attempt to take the stunned female’s head. The girl blocked her just in time and much to Innya’s frustration, the tip of her sword broke off. Everything from her early life seemed broken now. _No, don’t think like that_.

Innya had never had her sword broken in battle, but it did not let it fluster her. Her sword was more than half her age and the girl’s sword was new and made with the best steel, as the girl’s lover would not have it any other way. Innya’s sword had seen its best days a long time ago and now that she thought about, at a very inappropriate time, her sword was due to quit on her because it was so battle ridden. _But, I’m not ready to let it go_.

“Bad bitch!” Kalycha threw her hand out and Innya was blown back.

Innya skidded across the garden and smashed into the palace wall. She frowned more in fury that was directed at herself because she had dropped her sword rather than the fact that she was embedded deep in a wall. She watched Kalycha approach her. She was still disappointed and very disinterested in the girl. She fell to the dirt as the girl reached her.

“This is really pathetic,” Kalycha said, shaking her head at Innya as if she was some grand, disapproving authoritative figure.

Innya groaned and reached for the sword on her hip. Kalycha stopped her by stepping on her hand. Innya growled at the girl while Kalycha mumbled what she guessed was a stunner spell. It had to be a stunner spell for the simple fact that Innya could barely move once the girl was finished with it. Kalycha stripped her of her weapon. She tossed Innya’s good blade at the King’s feet, which was good because Innya did not desire to kill the girl with that sword and with it far away from her, she would not be tempted to use it.

“Is this it?” Kalycha glared down at her. “Weren’t you going to kill me? You’re just a pretender to the throne, a false god.”

“I never claimed to be a god. I don’t have that type of power,” Innya said. Wolves did not believe in gods, but they understood what a god was. Innya would never consider herself a god, even when her ego was going full force, despite what she was capable of. No, gods were otherworldly and Wolves were very much tethered to this world, even in death.

“I noticed. You weren’t a problem for me. You weren’t even a challenge,” Kalycha said and then she had the nerve to spit on the assassin.

“I could kill you anytime that I feel like,” Innya informed the spoiled brat and she could, but she was trying to work out her anger. After all, once the girl was dead, she would have nothing to focus on. She would have no outlet for all of the emotions building and raging inside of her. When it was all said and done, she needed to work through her parents’ deaths right now or she would tear the world apart.

“That’s why you’re at my feet. Maybe if you beg me I’ll let you live and then you can be my servant.”

Innya had to look up at Kalycha in order for the girl to see how amused she was by the suggestion. Kalycha snarled when she saw the smile on Innya’s face. She pointed her sword at Innya’s head as a threat.

“Beg me and I’ll forgive you. Beg me like your mother did,” Kalycha ordered.

The girl had just signed her own death warrant and Innya was going to stamp it in blood to make it official. How dare she mention Innya’s mother and imply the deceased warrior was cowardly? Her mother would never beg. Her mother had too much pride to beg for something like her life to someone so insignificant. 

Kalycha had done a very bad thing. She had not only killed Innya’s mother, but mocked the warrior to add to the pain that she was about to go through. She could not get away with disrespecting Innya’s mother, not ever again.

“Such a fool child. So, you want to suffer like Moon Thieves are taught to make fools suffer?” Innya asked.

Darkness suddenly covered the garden and the King looked up to see the half moon in the sky be devoured by blackness. A thick bolt of white light crashed to the ground where Innya was downed. Kalycha was caught in the blast and she let loose a scream of pure, beautiful agony as she backed away from the assassin. She almost fell over while making her retreat because her legs were so thoroughly injured now, just like the rest of her body.

Kalycha’s entire frame smoked and white dust floated in the night breeze. Her skin was shredded, muscles sagged from her like limp hair, and her bones were cracked. She would not make it far.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya has to deal with Kalycha and then deal with her own family.


	14. Belonging to Eternity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, do not use them without my permission.

14: Belonging to Eternity

Kalycha managed to stay on her feet despite the damage Innya dealt her from the moon boost. Somehow, she was strong enough to not be shredded by the energy. Moon Thieves had to be carefully trained to take in power from the moon. It allowed them to fight with power almost beyond compare for a limited amount of time, but it was also a force that could and did rip people apart when done wrong. She had seen too many good warriors permanently injured and disfigured from drawing on the power incorrectly. Kalycha had not even seen it coming, so now she stood in a pool of her own blood as it streamed out of her.

Kalycha stared down at Innya in confusion as the older warrior lifted her hand up. Kalycha’s face twisted, puzzled by Innya. Innya could almost hear the girl’s thoughts from the look on her face. She was wondering why the Moon Thief did not know when she was beat obviously. 

Then she picked up on what Innya was doing. It was not a secret and Innya wanted the girl to know. The magic user heard Innya’s lost, partially broken sword coming closer to her. She figured out Innya was calling her sword back to her hand thanks to the power of the moon flowing through her. 

“That’s the weakest magic ever,” Kalycha said as she turned around and believed she deflected the sword upwards a moment before it would have gone through her head.

“It’s not magic. It’s force of will. It’s how true Wolves devour their pray,” Innya replied before she moved.

“Did you think that I’d fall for such a cheap trick?” Kalycha inquired as she turned her attention back to Innya only to discover that the assassin was missing.

Kalycha looked up just in time to see Innya grab her broken weapon in the air and descend up on her. The girl was frozen in place as Innya put her sword through the girl’s chest, in the between her collarbones, and sent a jolt from the moon through the blade into the girl. When the light cleared, it looked like Kalycha’s skin had been boiled. Kalycha gasped in pain and dropped to her knees in front of Innya.

“Apparently, you did fall for it,” Innya answered the girl’s question.

“Your speed,” Kalycha choked out.

Innya sucked her teeth. “Yeah, I used to be faster. Guess I’m getting old, like you and yours kept saying. Now, stay alive for a moment, so I can explain a few things for you.” 

Despite her words, Innya twisted her blade, earning a scream from Kalycha. The sound danced down Innya’s spine. _Mom, I hope you heard that. I hope you see this_. 

“The strike you were caught in is why Moon Thieves will always be the best. We, and we alone, can harness the power of the moon and use it through our bodies. That’s the power you need to take on a transcendent. You couldn’t even handle that little bit of force I took in. You cried out like the child you are.”

Kalycha choked on her fury and agony. “I’m not…”

“Shh…” She pushed the sword in deeper and cut off the girl’s words as she let out a sharp gasp. It was sweet. “Now, let’s have a lesson or two. You do see how my sword’s stuck in your chest and protruding out of your back? You’re going to die and it’ll be a decent, respectful, and honorable death in a fair battle, just like the one I gave your sister. It was between you and me. Understand?”

Kalycha only gasped again. She could try to breathe all she wanted. It was a little amazing her lungs still existed after being hit with the moon twice, even if the force Innya called on was barely anything.

Innya’s nostrils flared. “The way you killed my mother with your whole filthy pack almost a half-mile away, without bothering to engage her in an actual battle, that was just disgusting and you should all be ashamed of yourselves. You all actually have the nerve to call yourselves warriors? Death is too good for you. I should remove my sword, take you to a doctor, or better still a healer, let them save you, and then do this again to you until you look forward to all of the attention.” It was tempting. Something to occupy her with her parents gone.

“No… you’re nothing,” the girl groaned as she tried to pull the sword from her body in vain. It just hurt her more, which made Innya very happy.

“No, you’re nothing.” Innya put her finger in Kalycha’s face. “I’m so sick of you stupid kids who don’t even know what blood smells like and you’re trying to take over. What do you know about fighting, about proper battle? Nothing, fool. You’re too weak! Mentally and physically, you’re all just useless to us all.” She threw her hands out to both sides.

Kalycha flinched. Too late to wise up now. “No…” the word was a weak groan.

“Yes, and I, for one, am very sick of your trash. Now, the lesson is done. You can die now.” Innya put her foot on the hilt of her sword to force the blade further into her opponent. The girl screamed in pain and began crying.

“Please…” Fat tears rolled down her burned cheeks.

Innya’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me?” The little welt could not truly be begging for her life. 

“Don’t…”

“It’s much too late for this nonsense. I told you I’m sick of talking.” Innya kicked her leg back, which sent the blade end of her sword tearing toward her. The blade cut through the girl and split her in half from where it had been buried in her chest to the top of her head before flipping back into its owner’s hand.

Innya did not bother to clean the sword, but went and retrieved the scabbard. She sheathed the broken, bloody weapon and then went to pick up her other sword. She strolled over to her husband and picked the sword up.

“Nicely done,” the King commented.

“Shut up!” Innya hollered at the top of her lungs, so loud she went lightheaded for a moment. She glared at him with such fury bubbling in her that she did not understand how she did not explode. 

“Innya,” he started like he was about to scold her, but she did not have time for his nonsense.

“I hold you partially responsible for my parents’ deaths. I told you to keep that little bitch away from me. I told you those foolish youngsters don’t know their damn places. My mother was murdered in a most cruel and foul manner. Do you know what it’s like to die from magic poisoning?” She looked him up and down with a curled lip. He had no idea. He probably did not mourn his own parents.

“Innya,” he tried again, but nope. She did not want to hear it.

“My father’s dying from grief. His heart’s unable to cope with such a huge loss. You helped take great light and knowledge from this world, from your own son. They deserved better than this, but at least my father can go with the knowledge that he was avenged, as was my mother. But, that won’t bring them back. Nothing will bring them back.”

“I know,” he said, like he had empathy, like he was not filled with only his own desires and wants, like he was not the only person who mattered to him.

She glared even harder. “All I ever had was my parents and they were all I needed. You stole that from me. You brought me here as if I’d actually like it. You used me and made me a joke more so than failing my last assignment ever did. But, that doesn’t even bother me. The fact that you used me to threaten my mother by telling her you’d kill me slowly and force her to watch and you’d make me cry for her, all so you could have me and breed me. I’ll never forget that. I’ll never forget this. So, I’ll always hate you.” She had never meant words more.

“Innya—” The King tried to say something once more.

“I don’t have any more words for you and I don’t think I ever will. My parents gave everything for this tribe and you didn’t even recognize that. I don’t have time to waste with you, not now, not ever.”

Innya tried to walk away, but the King foolishly tried to stop her. He grabbed her by the arm and she snarled. She spun around and hit her husband in the face with her sheathed, battle worn sword so quickly he did not even realize he was stuck until he saw his hand releasing her. He held his cheek as she stormed away.

As Innya made her way back home, she noticed scattered bodies every now and then of Star Killers. They were such stupid youngsters, but hopefully they would serve the purpose of warning other young warriors to not mess with the Moon Thieves. She was fed up with young warriors being all muscle except for in between their ears, which was where it counted most. _Perhaps a majority of young warriors are actually born without brains_. She was so sick of a majority of young warriors being so useless and throwing their lives away while being unjustifiably overconfident in abilities they did not have. She was tired of older warriors having to kill younger ones to try to put the others in their place. Whatever happened to respect? Did no one teach their cubs respect anymore?

Innya cleared her head as she came to her parents’ house. She never thought about how it was going to be the last time that she went to the place. She found her cub sitting by his grandfather’s bed. The five-year-old turned to his mother as soon as she stepped into the room. He was about to approach her and she could see the concern in his eyes, more than likely because she was bleeding and her clothes were torn. She waved the boy off as she stood on the opposite side of the bed. She placed her unused sword down, but she gripped the bloody one tightly.

“Daddy, the people that killed Mommy were called Star Killers. They’ll be extinct when the sun rises thanks to our brothers and sisters. The leader of the Star Killers, a bitch named Kalycha, orchestrated the whole event that took Mommy down because I killed her little sister at the Pit and I humiliated her a couple of times. You could blame me for this if you want. I don’t mind,” Innya informed him.

“No,” her father could barely say the word. She could not believe he was dying from a broken heart, but it made sense. What else could kill him? “Good… daughter…” The words rattled out of his mouth.

Innya sniffled. “I do my best, all the time. I killed the leader a few minutes ago. My fight with her was honest and her death was honest. Mommy didn’t get that honor. She was returning home to us, I’ve been told by a few crying Star Killers. They said she seemed to know they were there, but they were in a place where a lot of kids go to fool around and bug out in the woods. She probably smelled them and sensed their magic, but she probably dismissed them as just some wacky kids in the woods. Then she was bombarded by nearly fifty stunner spells at once. It was such a cowardly move.”

“Yes…” he said, nodding his head ever-so-lightly. Sweat rolled down either side of his forehead.

“As powerful as Mommy was, fifty stunner spells still pinned her down. She could only deflect and absorb so many and I’m sure her limit was below fifty. Once she was pinned to the ground and no doubt suffering badly from magic poisoning with so many spells on her way, Kalycha approached her. She cast a spell to steal Mommy’s breath nearly twenty times before Mommy suffocated. It took her ten long minutes to die. She had been suffering from magic poisoning for ten minutes. No one but Kalycha approached her. The rest of the pack remained hidden while Mommy died quietly without a trace of blood on her. 

“The bitch who did this, who took such a great person from us, died by my hands. She thought she bested me in the contest, but I was just toying with her because her being alive gave me something, someone to hate and punish. She died thanks to this sword, the one that you and Mommy gave me so long ago,” Innya said with steel in her voice. One would never think that she spoke to a dying man who she loved so dearly that she wished she could take his place. But, she would show him that he taught her well. She would keep her emotions in check and send him off with her stoic face.

“Swiftly?” he asked about the kill.

“I allowed her the joy of holding my sword in her chest and back for a while. I gave her a taste of the power of the moon. I just got sick of hearing her voice and seeing her breathe. You always told me that I had little patience. Stay with me just a little longer, Daddy,” she requested, rubbing his shoulder.

“For you…” he breathed out.

“I thought about this one the way over here. I’m so sick of what I have to go through, what you had to go through, what Mommy had to go through with young warriors. Your legacy will live. I’m going to make sure of that by passing down what you gave me, not just to Tonotec. I’m going to try to teach cubs who want to be warriors. I want to do this in your memory and in her memory. I want to teach cubs, so this won’t happen again. I’ll have students who respect older warriors who have more experience than they have. They’ll kill warriors the proper way and not cowardly like what happened with Mommy. They will be useful. Okay, Daddy?”

“Good. It’ll be… a great… challenge,” he struggled to get the sentence out. His eyes glistened and she took it as him wanting to smile. He managed to lift his hand and she clutched in both of hers.

The real great challenge would be living without him and her mother. They were not supposed to go now. She needed them. Tonotec needed them. This was not fair. Foul play should not have taken their family from them.

“I love you so much, Daddy. You tell Mommy that I love her, too, when you see her. I’m going to miss you both so much.” Tears burned every inch of her, but she refused to let them fall. She had to keep it together as best she could for as long as she could. But, this was so unfair. 

“I know. You always… were a… good daughter. Where’s… my little… grandson?”

“I’m right here, Grandfather,” Tonotec replied, pushing up to the bed. He stood on a chair, ensuring his grandfather could see him.

Her father tapped Tonotec’s cheek with a pale hand. “Hey, you little softie, you… better be good… for your mother. She’ll need you… whether she wants to admit it or not. What have I taught you, Tonotec?”

“You said to always get stronger, faster, better while remaining true. You said always have honor. You said…” Tonotec choked on his words. He was trying so hard to be like his mother and control his emotions. He was so strong.

Her father managed a smile. “You live up to that name, boy.”

“I’ll never forget you, Grandfather. I… I love you…” Tonotec whispered. He probably did not want to seem like he was having an emotional breakdown, but his mother had said it, so that made it all right for him to say it.

“Love you, too. You… be… good.”

Tonotec sniffled and nodded. “Yes, Grandfather.”

“Tonotec,” Innya called her son.

The five-year-old went to his mother and stood by her side. They stared at the ill warrior who they loved so much. He took a deep breath and that was all. Both mother and son did not change their facial expressions. The whole thing was just too surreal. 

It was like they saw a completely different reality, one they did not want, but could not return. The greatest man they had ever known was dead. He was gone and Innya felt so lost and hollow, but she refused to show that. She wanted to collapse in on herself, but the cub by her side would not allow her to do so. From that moment on, he was the only thing making her want to live. Well, that and one day, she would punish the King for all of this. 

“Come, Tonotec. We’ll get some sleep and bury you grandparents in the morning,” Innya said. What else could she do?

“Yes, Mother,” he answered automatically.

Tonotec’s body seemed to operate mechanically as he grabbed the weapon that his mother had put against the wall. They exited the house and proceeded home. She could not even see the village. It was all just a blur of shadows. Innya tried not to focus on what had happened and Tonotec helped with that in a way for a moment.

“Mother,” he said.

“Yes, Tonotec?”

His face twitched a little. “What’s magic poisoning?”

“It’s when a person with little or no magic absorbs too much magic, usually trying to ward off magic. It can be deadly if a person takes more than their limit. I haven’t had it to a severe degree in so long before tonight that I forgot it was painful. Magic poisoning can do a lot of damage, like cause internal bleeding among a long list of other painful things. I’ll be sure to highly educate you on the subject soon.” She would have to do so much now. His entire education depended on her. Really his entire everything depended on her. _I’ll have to do everything possible and learn all I can to make sure he grows up to be the best warrior our Tribe has ever seen_.

“Yes, Mother.”

The rest of the trip was silent. The world seemed dim, muted. It was like everything shifted. Her parents were dead and the world was poorer for it. It amazed Innya that she felt like her parents were dead. 

She did not go through a denial period where it felt like they were still alive. She could feel that they were gone, like something inside of her had withered and died with them. She was never going to see them again. It felt like she was dead, but among the living.

When Innya and her cub got home, they did not sleep. Innya stood at her bedroom window and stared out of it. Tonotec stood behind her. She grabbed his hand and pulled him in front of her. She held her cub against her and felt his heart beat under her hand. He was alive, she was alive, and that was all she could think about as they watched the sun change the sky from black to orange as it slowly made its way into the air. They both exhaled simultaneously and then Innya patted her son on the chest.

“Come, Tonotec. We must prepare.”

“Yes, Mother.”

They moved in heavy silence. Innya bathed him and dressed him in his usual attire. She left him for a few minutes to go get herself together. She had never felt so relaxed, yet so tense while she took a lukewarm bath. She dressed in her usual clothes. Her parents would not want anything fancy, especially her father. She attached her heavier sword to its place at her hip and then she grabbed her old, broken, and still dirty sword. She returned to Tonotec to find him still looking out the window. He also had attached his sword to his hip.

“Come,” Innya simply said.

Tonotec nodded and they left. The King fell in line with them before they got out of the palace. Once again, the scenery was a blur. Noises were garbled. There was static in Innya’s mind, but she moved on. 

They walked for hours without saying a word into the woods. They eventually came to a place that was close to a rushing stream. There were plenty of trees and bushes. It was lush, green, peaceful. A place where two lovers could enjoy each other for all eternity.

Innya’s parents’ bodies were there, next to one deep, wide hole. _Buried together, of course. Always together_. Innya guessed that was what they had told the Moon Thieves they wanted. They never made their funeral desires known to her, just where to honor them when the time came. _It should’ve been years from now, decades_. 

Beyond that, when a warrior became a Moon Thief, there was the chance the warrior would be killed and funeral arrangements tended to be left with the pack, just in case. Innya never bothered to ask what her parents’ funeral arrangements were because, like most cubs, Innya thought her parents would never die. How wrong she was.

Her parents had not been wrapped, just laid peacefully side by side. It gave her and Tonotec one last chance to look upon them in the sunlight. They were dressed in all white and looked like they were asleep. Tonotec touched his grandmother’s shoulder, as if he expected her to pop back up. His golden 

“We were going to buy grain-fed mice and make skewers when she got back,” Tonotec said.

Innya rubbed the top of his head and ignored the tearing against her bones. It hurt to know her mother had plans with Tonotec on her return and now they would never get to them. How long would Tonotec carry that with him? This was not fair.

“If you want, you can help me lay them to rest,” Innya said to Tonotec.

He nodded. He was too short to do much, but it would probably help him quite a bit to have a hand in the last time they would see his grandparents. She instructed him on how to help lift her parents into her arms. He “helped” her pick each of them up.

Innya carefully placed her parents’ bodies in their final resting place. She put them side by side in the grave and made them clasp hands together. She laid her old sword across them. She placed their free hands on the weapon. With that done she stepped out of the hole and collected a handful of rich soil. She exhaled slowly and sprinkled the dirt on the couple.

“Take the blood of our enemy with you as proof that vengeance was yours. I thank you for raising me, for teaching me honor, for making me the warrior that I am, even though we all know I have more to work for. I couldn’t ask you for more than what you gave me. You were the best of parents, through and through. You gave me everything a cub needed, even a good slap when it was necessary and a tight hug when I didn’t know I needed it. You always knew. You always held me together. You made me better. Now, I can never ask anything of you again and there’s no one to slap me if I make a mistake. No one to hug me when I don’t realize I need it. I’m really on my own now. But, you two take care of each other. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine and I’ll keep our bloodline at the top for as long as I can and when I can’t, you know there’s still Tonotec,” Innya said and then she stepped back over to her husband and son.

“Mother?” Tonotec looked up at her, a plea in his eyes. 

“Go ahead,” she replied.

The five-year-old approached the grave. He exhaled deeply and picked up a tiny fist full of dirt. He exhaled again as he tossed the earth onto his grandparents. He trembled, but he was trying so hard to stay in control. _Your grandfather would be so proud of you_.

“I told Mother I’d never make a promise, that my word would be good enough, just like hers and just like yours. I’ll be everything you wanted me to be for you, for myself, and for Mother. Don’t worry. We’ll never forget you and we’ll always love you. And one day, Grandmother, we will make those skewers,” Tonotec whispered and then he returned to his parents. His mother turned to leave and he was set to follow.

“That’s it?” the King demanded to know.

“Why? Would you like to say something in their honor?” Innya asked while Tonotec stared up at his father. His eyes seemed to implore the King to say something to honor his grandparents. One day, he would learn and accept his father could only disappoint.

“You cannot just leave them uncovered as they are,” the King objected.

Innya’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”

“Animals.”

“You really are clueless. Tonotec.” Innya waved for her child to follow her as she continued on her way. _How is he the King but knows so little about the Tribe and customs of prominent packs?_

Tonotec walked away with his mother without a second thought. The King grunted and went off with his first wife and son. He was such a dolt. Sometimes, she thought he had to be playing. There was no way for him to be as old as he was, for him to be king for as long as he had been, and not know something about how Moon Thieves and other warrior packs conducted funerals. 

The closest relatives to the deceased placed the body in the grave and said a few words while making sure to not make a fool of themselves, as their pack was watching. They left afterwards while the Moon Thieves or other warriors, who were hidden all over the grave site close enough to see and hear what was going on, came out, wrapped the bodies, and buried the dead to show their respect. It was a way to show how much a warrior trusted the members of their pack. Innya trusted the Moon Thieves to bury her parents. Did the King really not know anything at all about the Wolf tribe?

The trio quietly walked back home. A servant let Innya know things had been dropped off for her. The Moon Thieves had cleared out her parents’ house, also a pack responsibility. Innya did not have the energy to go through any of the things yet. They were put away in a spare room on her side of the palace.

“Innya,” the King said.

Innya ignored him and walked on. She shut herself up in her room. She sat in a chair in the corner and brooded pretty much. She stared off at her cream colored walls. The plush black, armchair, practically swallowed her small frame, which was why Tonotec could not see her when he first crept into the room. 

“Mother,” he called.

“Here.” Innya motioned from the chair.

He slowly made his way over to Innya. He stood in front of her and she stared down at him. He met her onyx-colored eyes with his golden orbs and she could see such need in her son’s eyes that it crushed her chest. He was not a stone, nor was she when it came to him. She lifted him up into the chair with her. Tonotec crawled into her lap and rested his head on her chest.

“It’s okay,” Innya told him as she wrapped her arms around him. He had permission to release his grief.

“Thank you, Mommy,” he whispered and she overlooked his use of the term of endearment, even though it was one thing she had never wanted him to say. But, it was a trying time and he was allowed any small comfort.

Tonotec wept into his mother’s collarbones. He did not make much noise; little hiccups and whines as he cried. She held him tightly and she thought that held her together. 

She did not notice it until it was too late, but water streamed down her face as well. She could not believe it, but she was crying. She was the great assassin, yet here she was quietly bawling her eyes out like a little baby. It was unheard of! She could not even remember the last time she thought about crying.

“It’ll be all right,” she said, for him, for herself, for both of them. They needed to know and believe it would be all right. 

He nodded into her shirt and clutched onto her, small fists bunched up in her shirt. She rubbed his back. His weight against her definitely kept her tethered in reality, even as she cried. 

“It’ll be all right,” she repeated, chanted really. “It’ll be all right.” It had to be.

Tonotec cried himself to sleep while still resting against her. Innya carried him to her bed. She did not have the strength to take him any farther than that. She had not slept in two days, but that was not what drained her. It was the stress. It was the feeling of being lost, floating through time. She was confused. What was she supposed to do? Her parents were gone. The world was quiet, grey, and fuzzy around the edges. What was she supposed to do now?

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the King manages to make a bad situation worse.


	15. In the Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, do not use them without my permission.

15: In the Darkness

Innya laid in bed with Tonotec for a while. He whimpered and moaned in his sleep. She rubbed his back until he calmed down. Once it seemed like he would be all right, she got up. Part of her felt like pacing, but her legs would not be able to keep her up long enough to make one lap in her bedroom.

She threw herself back into her chair, exhaustion clawing at her bones. She alternated between staring at Tonotec and staring at the wall. She was not sure how much time passed, but her husband came to visit, like he wanted to make a terrible day worse. She did not acknowledge his presence as he stood several feet away from. She did not have the strength to deal with him or his stupidity.

He had changed from his funeral clothing. He was able to move on in a way she never would. Was he like that when his parents died? Hell, did he even have parents? He could not have had proper parents or appreciated them the right way considering the manner he ripped her from hers. Time gone, never coming back. Parents gone, never coming back.

“I’m sorry,” the King mumbled. He dared to look her in her face, so she could see his bland expression, so she could see this meant nothing to him.

He had so much **fucking** nerve. Yes, he was the King and, yes, his power was unmatched in so many ways, but still. The level of disrespect that flowed from him like most generated body heat was astonishing. 

Innya let a smile creep onto her face, which grew into a low chuckle, before transforming into total, outright laughter. A different person would have run by now, but the King watched. She had to clutch her sides while she laughed so hard it hurt. He growled in anger. He probably thought she was mocking him, which if he was thinking then he was pretty much on target for once.

“Are you insane?” he demanded.

“By the dead, you’re something else. You, the ruler of the whole Wolf tribe, would apologize to me, a lowly little assassin you don’t even believe is good at my chosen profession. That’s funny,” Innya replied. 

“I never said you weren’t good at being an assassin.”

Innya shook her head. At least the dolt was entertaining, which was enough for her to not throw him out at the moment. “You’re a terrible judge of character and you probably would never really know any person if you lived with them for a thousand years or more.”

He grunted. “What are you getting at?” 

“That girl, you said no else deserved her. You told me the same thing so many years ago. I doubt you even know what you mean when you say it, but I know you were reflecting on my ability as an assassin and if you were—”

“I was,” he confirmed.

“Then you’re a poor judge of character. I could name over two dozen warriors who could have destroyed your little girl with ease, yet you dared compare her to me,” Innya said. She would have been insulted if she did not know just how much of an idiot he was. How had he managed to pick her out was truly beyond her now. Despite the fact that she had gone out of her way to kill a member of the Royal Guard. It felt like even something like that would go over his head, but then again, he did put more importance on it than he needed to.

“You had your problems.”

She scoffed. “And there goes your poor judgment again. I had my problems, all right. I had to force myself to not kill that little bitch as quick as I possibly could.” It was a good fight, but not her greatest. Maybe fifteen years ago, it would have been something for her, but she would have won even then. Teenage Innya would have destroyed that little bitch, too. Nothing about that girl compared to her.

He snorted. “What are you saying? You really expect me to believe you could’ve killed her at any time you wanted to? She killed your mother, after all.”

Innya frowned and then she laughed a little bit. He probably thought she was going out of her mind. Laughing was the only thing keeping her from gouging his condescending eyes out and she was not sure how long that might last.

She curled her lip at him. “Don’t speak on a matter that you don’t know anything about. You’re such an idiot. You don’t know anything about anything, except for matters below the waist.” Did he have no training before inheriting the throne? There had to be someone she could ask about to learn how he was before he became king. He did not seem to know anything important.

“I know if you keep this attitude up, I might forget you’re the mother of my first cub, my heir,” the King threatened her. It was more like he was reminding himself rather than her.

She waved him off. “I know who the cub is. Don’t be angry with me because all you know are bitches and how to throw your weight around. Your stupid little bitch didn’t kill my mother alone. It took fifty people hiding, using magic against her to kill my mother. Your spoiled bitch had to use a spell on my mother about twenty times for her to finally die, even with her suffering from magic poisoning. So, you never in your life again talk about how that bitch killed my mother like it was some great accomplishment. You know, if you had given my parents half a chance, you could’ve learned something.”

He scoffed and curled his lip at her. “Something like what?” he inquired as if he was mocking her. 

She hated him more with every second she had to spend with him. She wished she could just take her son and leave the palace forever, but no, her son was the heir to the throne. She was stuck in the palace forever. There was always the hope her husband would die one day, but she was almost certain the damned dolt was immortal. _No, one day you will feel his blood on your fingertips as you watch the life fade from his eyes and then you will truly be free_.

She cracked her knuckles before answering him. “Like, don’t ever in your life do something you might feel the need to apologize for later on. If you always do what’s best for the situation, you’d never feel sorry and you’d never owe anyone an apology. What the hell are you even sorry for?” She did not understand why such an arrogant bastard would ever apologize for anything. He was not a man who accepted blame for anything. 

“Your loss, of course,” he replied. 

She tilted her head as she eyed him like the idiot he was. He was just spouting words he probably heard were the right things to say when someone died. “You’re sorry for my loss? Like you actually give a damn. Six years ago you took me away from them using the dirtiest of all tactics. What does a bastard like you know about family and loss?” 

“Believe it or not, I did have parents myself,” he answered. He had parents back before her parents were born. She doubted he even remembered his parents.

“Did you even care when your parents died?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer to that one.

“Well…” he trailed off.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no.’ You don’t even know what it’s like. You probably couldn’t even fathom what this is like. You’re just here patronizing me, like you continue to do. I don’t have time for you anymore. Get out,” she ordered in a dead serious tone.

“I’m not through here. You cannot kick me out.”

She scowled. “Oh, no? I believe I just did. What’re you even doing here? I don’t want to hear your sorry excuses for apologizes or how you think your little whore was on the same level as me or daring to minimize my parents’ deaths. Get the hell out of here already. I don’t need you frustrating me further. After all you’ve done to me, don’t you think it’s enough? You’ve ruined me enough!” She snarled. 

Everything that ever meant something to her was gone and it was all in some way because of him. Now, it made her blood flare with his simple, moronic presence. It was like he was taunting her.

“Did I not give you a cub?” he asked as if that was his greatest accomplishment in life. He had given her a beautiful cub, which was all she had left in life. Tonotec was the only thing that had any meaning to her now, but that was neither here nor there with what they were discussing.

She glared at him. “What the hell does that have to do with anything? Yes, you gave me a cub, even though he was more for you than me. But, you did this after stealing me from my home, threatening my parents, blatantly disrespecting me, and making me the laughing stock of the whole village. I could kill any number of people in the Pit and around the village without breaking a sweat, but that no longer means anything to anyone. Let’s not forget, thanks to you, I no longer have an actual job anymore. Yes, I’m still a Moon Thief because I’ve done nothing to be kicked out of my pack, but they could dismiss me at any time now. And yes, I can still kill people, but they’ll never give me an assignment again as long as I’m your wife. I’m no longer an assassin.” It hurt her to admit that aloud. 

She had actually avoided saying it out loud until that very moment, even though it had been the truth ever since she married him. Being an assassin had defined who she was for most of her life, even when she was not one. It had been her goal since before she could remember and he snatched that from her, as if it was nothing, as if she was nothing, just an object to play with.

She continued on. “The last mission I had was the one for your stupid book. The one that I failed. I’m going to be remembered for that one. I’ll be a failure. 

“My parents spent such a long time creating the perfect assassin. They still had a few bugs to work out, but I was close to what they wanted and it showed in the dozens of assignments I had, the ones I never failed at. I actually had the record for the number of missions completed in a year. I failed the one quest for your stupid book and that’s how I’ll always be looked at. And I will never get a chance to redeem myself. So all and all, I would say you ruined me. 

“Are there any other unnecessary points that you’d like to make? Even though, aside from the cub you’ve given me, there’s nothing to boast about.” Her voice was laced with annoyance and she wished he would leave her be, but he just did not seem to know how to do that.

“As if I should care about you,” the King declared and stuck his nose in the air, which surprisingly enough made Innya livid. He should care because he upended her life and ruined everything! But, it meant nothing to him, she meant nothing, and he ruined everything. The nerve!

She rocketed out of her chair and shot right over to her massive spouse. Her fist was on his cheek before either of them even realized it. He would have a twin bruise to go with the one that she had been so generous to give him after her fight with his little mistress. His footing even faltered and he almost fell over. He was playing with such fire and did not seem to care.

“If you didn’t care you should’ve left me alone,” she snarled like a vicious beast. She did not want to shout because Tonotec was sleeping, but the King was pushing her to almost scream her head off.

The King groaned. “Damn emotional bitches.”

“Says the person who lets his groin rule his head. Now, get out or you’ll have to kill me because I’ll damn sure try to kill you.”

“You don’t make the orders around here and it’s about time for you to learn that.”

“You can’t teach me anything, but let’s have this your way.”

Innya charged him, putting her elbow in his abdomen. All of his air escaped him and she forced the giant back several feet before he caught his bearings. He growled at her, probably outraged over her behavior and her ability to touch him now. 

He had wanted her so badly to fall into line like his other wives. He probably could not believe or understand her ability to move him with such ease. He did not remember her being so strong. But, she had not been sitting on her ass since having Tonotec. Beyond her training, she remembered everything about the King from every confrontation they had and she studied his movements whenever she saw him. One day, she would own him and he had no clue.

The King got frustrated with Innya and lifted her off of her feet. He tossed Innya with all of his might across the room, through her closed balcony doors, and off of the balcony. She growled on the way down, but did not have time to correct her course.

“Mother!” she heard her son call as she and the stone walkway around the palace became friendlier than they had ever been. She bounced once when she hit the pavement and flipped over onto her back. Usually such a flight would not have bothered her or hurt her much, it would have been like falling down a couple of stairs, but she was exhausted in too many ways. She was pretty sure her fall had seriously injured her. She tried to move and found that she could not. Yup, seriously injured.

“This just tops off my last couple of days,” Innya muttered to herself, even though she knew it was no time to joke. She might be dying for all she knew. She should have gone to a doctor or healer after her fight with Kalycha, but now was not the time for regret.

“Mother! Mother!” she heard Tonotec calling her. His voice got louder with each call. He was coming closer and he was very worried, which might be justifiable. She would not let him know that. 

He leaned over her as if he was trying to gage how damaged she was. He gasped, so she guessed she did not look too good. _Yeah, this just gets better and better_.

“Mother?” The worry in his voice tore her apart. He probably could not handle her being hurt right now, not with his grandparents freshly buried. It was too much, but his idiot father did not think about that.

“I’m alive, Tonotec,” she replied because that was the best she could do.

“So I noticed. Hurt?” he asked.

“My pride,” she answered in a calm tone, as to not alarm him. More than her pride ached and bled, but there was no point in telling him.

“You’re bleeding,” he said.

She could not tell where it might be coming from. Everything throbbed, even her teeth. “I’m all right.”

“Can you stand?”

“I will.” She just needed some time.

“Should I… well, should I attack Father?” the child asked. He glanced back, looking into the palace.

“No, you don’t need to. Go back inside and go back to sleep. You deserve a good rest.”

“You do, too,” he replied.

“Go,” she ordered. She would never rest again. His entire education was on her back now. His entire existence was on her back and she only had memories to get her through it all now.

“Yes, Mother.” Tonotec complied, which she was thankful for. With luck, he went to his room or hers and continued to sleep. 

Innya lay on the sidewalk. She could not do anything else. There were no servants nearby for her to send to fetch a doctor. She definitely needed one.

Something or some things were broken, her spine maybe. Or there was the chance it was her skull. She had a horrible headache. It was something important, even after lying there for an hour, if the position of the sun meant anything, she still could not move at all. She was also burning thanks to the sun.

She could not pinpoint anything in particular that was in agony because everything was in sheer agony. The worst part was she could not go to sleep because she had no desire to chance slipping into a coma and she was so very tired. She kept her mind occupied by thinking about how she was going to kill her husband, someway somehow. 

She mentally went through different trainings she heard of. She would look into all of them. She would question older warriors on things they knew or heard. She would read any and every book she found on combat. She would search far and wide on how to improve. One day, she would feel his blood on her claws and smile.

“Have you learned your lesson yet, little pet?” the King asked Innya as he walked over to her. He stood over her, casting a wide shadow. If only he had come out sooner to block the sun while taunting her because she was a little sunburned now. She had lost track of time concerning how long she had been abandoned on the stone walkway, but she was pleased to still be alive.

“Little pet?” Innya echoed in an amused tone. He would regret calling her that. “You do know how to get through to me apparently, but I’m so very hardheaded that I never learn my lessons.”

He chuckled. “I could leave you here, Innya. Let your cub discover you and see how weak his mother really is. I could leave you to him and leave you for him to save, so he’ll know his mother’s a worthless bitch. Don’t you kill people who don’t know their place? You obviously don’t know yours.”

“It’s not here, that’s the whole point,” she spat venomously. She would be damned if he was going to allow him to think he got the better of her. Tonotec had already seen her like this earlier. For all she knew, he had come back throughout the day, but knew better than to approach her. But, the King would not use their son to mock her.

“Do you know what I could do to you while you’re here? You are so pathetic.” The King had the nerve to suck his teeth.

“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black,” she quipped.

The King growled and pressed his massive hand against Innya’s chest. He used his hand to crush Innya’s entire torso further into the sidewalk. Innya grunted as her ribs began to crack. She could hear her bones going as she strained to keep herself together. He did not seem interested in stopping, even though he could probably feel her bones bending under his palm.

Once she began to cough up blood, the King seemed to realize he was seriously about to kill the mother of his heir. She was the only person Tonotec would obey blindly at the moment and he would not take kindly to his father murdering his mother, especially so close to losing his grandparents. He eased his huge paw off of her and backed away while she continued to cough up blood.

“Get up,” the King ordered. 

She would if she could. She would have gotten up a long time ago if it was possible, but he was such an idiot he did not consider that. He expected her to stand simply because he ordered her to do so after he had pressed her ribs into her lungs. _What a dolt_.

Innya could only gurgle what she desired to be a witty remark. Instead, she just forced out enough blood from her mouth to fill a wine glass. Now she knew what it was like to drown in her own blood, not that she had really been curious about such a thing. She wanted to fight her husband back, but her body had been spent long before he even threw her off of her balcony. All she could do was lie there and die while gazing at the moon. _Wait a second, the moon?_ She had not even noticed the moon had come out a while ago.

Apparently, her luck was not all rotten. Now, she would not have to leave her husband with the satisfaction of having done her major harm. She focused on the moon and took a deep, but extremely bloody breath. 

“Get up,” the King repeated as the moon vanished and darkness covered them.

“No problem,” Innya answered as she was stuck by a bolt of white light. The energy from the moon put her back together almost instantly and filled her with power. She was on her feet and punching her spouse in the stomach before he realized what was going on. He coughed from the blow and Innya smirked as he fell to the ground. “I’m just returning the favor.”

Her husband tried to get up, but he ended up dropping to his knees and he held his sore belly. Innya liked having him kneel before her, but she did not rub it in. She kicked the King across the face for good measure and his head snapped to the side. A tooth came out. That was satisfying. 

She turned her attention to inside the palace, curious as to what her cub had been doing while she was lying on the sidewalk. She understood how distracted her mind had been for the day to not notice the moon or even think of Tonotec. She needed rest.

“Get up,” Innya told her husband with a sneer. “Dinner’s ready more than likely.”

She walked off before the King could gather himself. She went to her son’s room and discovered him practicing with his sword. He glanced at her while she watched him from his doorway. They had a moment of silence before he spoke.

“You’re bloody,” Tonotec said.

“Occupational hazard. Hungry?” Innya asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then come.”

Tonotec sheathed his sword and put the weapon at the foot of his bed. He joined his mother and strolled off by her side. They set off through the elegant halls of the palace estate to the dining room. There would be no more dining with her parents, no more laughter and teasing at the table, no more joy with a warm meal. The thought must have crossed Tonotec’s mind, as his fingertips brushed against hers, like he wanted to take her hand.

“It’ll be fine,” she said, but allowed her hand to wrap around his.

“We could’ve had roasted skewered mice. Did you know Grandmother’s let them sit in spices and lemon juice for hours before she made them?” he asked.

She gave him a little smile. “I did not know that. I was never particularly gifted at cooking.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed. And, then opened it again. “Maybe… maybe we could…”

She nodded. “I think I’d like that.” It was not a lie. Something to help keep his grandmother alive for him. Something to help her remember her mother and become close to her son.

They sat at their usual space on the completely opposite end of the King and his now three other wives. Innya could not even remember when he married that fourth wife of his. Tonotec was the only child who ate in the adults’ company, which did not go unnoticed.

“Why is it that her cub can eat at the table?” Aliyana, the King’s third wife, complained.

“Yes, why is that?” Ashti asked curiously, not spitefully as the other female had. The blonde was also fussing over their husband’s new bruise. She stood at his seat, one hand on his forearm and the other trying to touch his face.

Innya had forgotten her counterparts had cubs of their own, mostly because she did not care about their cubs. Innya had really stopped paying attention to the people at the other end of the table years ago. She had forgotten that Ashti and Aliyana had been pregnant years ago. She still did not care and the only reason she thought about the matter was because their dinner had not been brought to them and she had nothing else to focus on.

“Do not question me,” the King grumbled as he waved Ashti away from his face. He glared at Innya for a moment. She wanted to tell him to stop pouting and suck it up. She had only punched and kicked him for crying out loud.

“But, what about our sons?” Ashti asked with a pout as she sat down since the King did not want her attention at the moment. She was to his right. It was a well respected seat and spoke of her influence on him. Well, it would have spoken of her influence if the King listened to anyone beyond his own damaged brain.

“Your sons barely eat solid food,” he replied, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand. That could not be right, but the King probably had no idea if his parenting toward Tonotec was an indication of how he fathered the rest of his children.

“But, what of when they get older? Will they also be allowed to dine with us?” Aliyana inquired, giving Innya a glare. She was jealous of what seemed to be the special treatment given to Innya and her cub. 

Innya wished she and Tonotec did not get such “special treatment.” It would be nice to sit alone with her son, especially now. They could use the time to process their loss and even connect with each other to help heal the open wound. But, their loss did not matter to anyone beyond them.

“Will they?” Ashti asked, clasping her hands together. Her eyes twinkled with hope and desire. If only someone could somehow buy a brain for Ashti. It seriously pained Innya to see someone so stupid and content to be the King’s toy, his favorite toy, but a toy nonetheless. It was insane that Ashti loved that dolt.

“That won’t be for a while. Don’t question me,” he grumbled again.

“But—” Aliyana tried to speak up.

“Enough!” the King barked and Innya noticed him wince a little. He should try not to scream if his abdomen was sore. Yelling would not help, but he probably did not know that.

Innya smirked, pleased she flustered him so much. He did not know of her powers as a Moon Thief and how she had been trained to the point when it was second nature to her to tap into an energy that no one, except Moon Thieves, understood. Collecting power from the moon was such a difficult task at first and it was painful when she was first learning how to do it. If a person did not know what she was doing, she would not be able to handle the power and she would only injure herself, as Innya had done plenty of when she was younger. She would have to look out for that when she began training Tonotec, if she was even allowed to train him on the technique, as it belonged to her pack and not her. She would seek their permission when the time came.

Gathering the energy now was like drinking water. There was no trick to it for her and she could use the energy to crush any opponent, or so she used to think anyway. But, it would take more than that to take down the King. Still, the moon’s power healed her instantaneously and she needed that when in heavy combat, or when dealing with her imbecile of a spouse. _One day, I will build myself up to take care of this dolt, though, with or without the moon_.

“Mother,” Tonotec said.

“Yes?” Innya replied.

“Why aren’t we eating, Mother?” he asked, looking around. It was a good question. Food should have been placed in front of them the moment they sat down. 

“I don’t know,” Innya answered. Why had they not been served yet? For a moment, she briefly considered the chef might have been celebrating her mother’s death. He was her mother’s least favorite servant and she had tormented him when she was in the palace. Innya would put out feelers to find out if that was the case.

“Father,” Tonotec called down the table, which he knew was rude, but she excused it. She would rather her son not waste his time walking down to his father to ask about dinner.

“What?” the King huffed, shifting in his seat. He was still hurt. It was so sweet.

“If I can ask, where’s the food?”

“What?” the King repeated, turning his head to point his ear toward Tonotec. Tonotec had a soft tone of voice.

“The food. The cub’s hungry,” Innya said for her son, so he would not have to shout down the table like he was unsophisticated. 

“Good question. Where’s the food?” the King growled and glared across the room.

The King’s demand was quickly met and the food was served. Both Innya and her son were thankful to eat, even if it was raw meat. Innya’s mother had gotten them used to eating cooked meat, but that was over, unless Innya learned how to cook. She had to figure out how she and Tonotec would explore that together. It would be nice to do things with him and maybe it would help them both grow to do more than worry about battle.

Maybe they could explore the village and find the best street food venders as well as talk to people to learn what to do. Her mother told her living off of raw meat was no way to live, so she would have to figure out something for the sake of her son. But, that was a problem for later.

After such a trying period, anything that could be counted as food would do at the moment for the pair. They had to get on with life and find their new normal.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya gets students and Tonotec goes into the Pit.


	16. Up in the Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

16: Up in the Air

For a couple of days, Tonotec gave Innya odd looks since “the balcony incident.” There were so many questions burning inside of him and she could see it in his golden eyes, especially during their quiet moments. She watched him as they sat in his room, huddled together on the floor, while he tried to read a book that she knew was too advanced for him, but he was a remarkable cub and managed well for a five-year-old. She looked at him and rubbed his forehead to get his attention while she had the nerve.

He looked at her. “Yes, Mother?” 

“You can ask me if you really want to,” she answered to give him permission. 

He nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. He was so brilliant and she did not think that because he was hers. She did not think she was as astute as he was and he definitely did not get his mind from his father.

“You were so hurt and then you were fine. How?” His pale forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows drew in.

“It’s complicated, but I’ll teach you when you get older.” Before she had not been sure if she would train him in the ways of the Moon Thief, but now, he needed all of the tools at her disposal. There was no telling when he might have to deal with some underhanded fiend like his grandparents had. She had to make sure Tonotec could handle any and everything life might throw at him. Yes, she would ask her pack elders for permission to reveal pack secrets, but she would probably do it regardless of what they said. Maybe in her research, she would be able to find something similar to their talents and she would not have to do anything untoward or disrespectful.

“All right. Why did Father do that? He could’ve really hurt you. Was he trying to train you?” Tonotec equated the treatment his mother received from his father as training because sometimes in training the teacher hurt the pupil to get the pupil on track or drill a lesson in the pupil’s head.

“In his own special way, yes, he’s trying to train me.” That was better than Tonotec knowing his father almost killed his mother, and that was not the first time. No cub needed that on his mind. Beyond that, any time the King antagonized her, but did not kill her was a lesson for her. The more she learned about him, the easier it would be to kill him as soon as she could.

Tonotec nodded, even though he did not understand. His eyes were so lost, searching the floor as his mind tried to process the information. “What’s he trying to train you for? Aren’t you the best? What do you need more training for?”

Innya wanted to laugh. “He wants to train me for something I don’t want to learn, but he keeps forcing the lessons.”

He squinted and was quiet for a long moment. “Would you do that to me if I didn’t want to learn a lesson?”

“Would I ever hurt you like that?” she countered, rubbing the top of his head. His silver locks were down his back and soft like rabbit fur. 

Tonotec did not even seem to think it over. He shook his head immediately. She would never hurt him, could never hurt him. He was now her everything. She might be tough on him, but it would be for a purpose.

“If you don’t want to learn certain things just tell me,” she said.

“Yes, Mother.” 

“And, if I ever hurt you and I don’t realize it, tell me. I never want to hurt you.”

“Yes, Mother.” Tonotec seemed satisfied and he went back to struggling to read the book.

Innya helped him as usual. He would soon have to be tutored in lessons he would need to know as the King’s heir. She wanted him to be able to think enough for himself to disagree with the tutor if he was taught something he did not like or believed to be wrong. She would not let anyone brainwash him into becoming his father.

-8-8-8-8-

Once Innya’s mental state returned to what she would consider normal for the most part, she went about her decision to be a tutor. She went into the village and recruited a number of hopeful warriors of all ages, sizes, and both sexes. She was not as big a joke as she thought she was around the village. Parents eagerly entrusted their cubs to her with the hope their cubs would grow up powerful. All Wolf parents ever wanted was for their children to be powerful physically and/or mentally before anything else, so that the cub would survive in the tribe. A weak cub would be crushed by society and no one wanted that to happen to their offspring.

As she went out gathering pupils, she dragged Tonotec along, but not to meet with any of her students. They explored different food places each time they were out. They found a soup and stew place they enjoyed. But, the light that used to exist in Tonotec’s eyes when he cooked with his grandmother was gone. That would probably never come back, but she would continue to try to find something for them.

She acquired nearly two dozen pupils in one week. She taught them in the garden on “her side” of the palace, even though she could have opened a school in the village. She wanted her students to feel special, and training on royal grounds with a famous assassin did that. She trained adolescents in the morning, little children — all around her son’s age — in the afternoon, and teenagers were in the evening. 

Tonotec did not warm up to any of his mother’s students, not that she expected him to. She never warmed up to people when she was younger. Hell, she still was put off by most people, but she could not standby and let young fools steal anyone else’s pride and joy from them. 

Tonotec stared at her student groups with cold golden eyes when he watched them train. He never interacted with them and she did not mind that much. She set her son aside to train by himself, but she used him as an example to demonstrate moves whenever possible, which boasted his ego and pride, which she would later learn that was a bad thing. 

The one person who Innya did not enjoy watching her students was her husband. The King always managed to find his way over to her sessions just as her teenagers were wrapping things up. A little over half of the seventeen teenagers she had gathered after a few weeks were female. Hmm, wonder why the King was hanging around? Innya decided to have a talk with her lecherous husband before he managed to really do something stupid and piss her off beyond reason.

“You are to leave my pupils alone,” Innya told her husband as the last of her teenagers filed out to go home. She bared her fangs at him, wanting him to understand how serious she was.

The King scoffed and waved her off. “You cannot order me around.”

The thing Innya hated the most about her husband was that he allowed his status to go all the way to his very dense head. In fact, it seemed to be the only thing that penetrated his thick skull. Obviously, no one checked his behavior when he was younger and he grew into this huge problem. 

Her father had made sure to keep her in check growing up, so she did not go around overestimating herself. She had grown up as a peasant when, in reality as Moon Thieves, her parents were just below upper class status automatically because if the tribe did not value much, it valued the warriors who defended it. Living over the moat now, seeing how the nobles were, Innya understood why her parents preferred the village. Innya, as the top assassin, before she married the King had a status that really could only be topped by members of the royal house in the tribe. But, she did not go around bragging about those things, nor did she use them as a power move. Unlike the King, who tried so hard to use his being king as a power play. She would not be bullied by his status. 

Innya glared at him, even though she knew he would not understand the seriousness in her eyes. “My students all have promise and they’ll all be useful in some way. I won’t have you ruining them with false promises or shallow gifts. Any move on them, I’ll take personally as a move against me. And if you move against me that makes you my enemy.” This would be different from the mess they had now. She would no longer respect the fact that he was Tonotec’s father. Her enemy was her enemy.

“You act as if you own them,” he said.

“When they’re here, I _do_ own them. Don’t even look at any of my students anymore.” She stared him down.

He rolled his eyes. “Innya, why don’t you get it yet? I’ll look all I want. I’ll do whatever I want.”

“Is that really what you want?” she asked. He had no clue what she would do to him if he made the very dumb decision to become her enemy. _Of course, you’ve already vowed to kill him, so there’s that_.

“Some of your students are just so…” He paused to give her a lecherous smile and had the nerve to lick his lips as he finished his sentence. “…delicious looking. I’m sure that they’re all delectable.”

“The only things you’ll be eating are my fists and feet if you come near my students with devilish intentions.” She would devote all of her time, search far and wide for a way to end him in the most foul of ways should he trespass against her students. _Of course, you kinda do this already._

“Only you would think an orgasm is devilish.”

She snarled at him. “Yours is. Keep your everything to yourself. Go play with one of your wives or you’ll regret it.”

“Innya, are you so desperate to have me kill you?” he inquired with a smirk on his face. 

Innya returned his expression with a smirk of her own. “Are you offering?”

“I’ll allow you your death wish since you seem so eager to join your parents.”

“You’re most compassionate, darling. Don’t ever let anyone say that the King isn’t benevolent because it’d be a total lie.” She rolled her eyes.

“You know, you’re just trying my patience today. I’ll do worse than kill you. I’m going to conquer you,” the King said with a proud tilt of his chin. 

Innya had no clue what he meant by that, but her brain translated it to what he had done when she first got to the palace. He wished he could still conquer her. Her time now was nothing but training and becoming better. She was not the Innya he used to know.

“You’re free to try,” she replied.

His eyes went wide for a moment, not expecting that challenge. “When would you like?”

“Tomorrow’s fine by me. After my sessions are done and I’ve said goodnight to Tonotec and my students,” she replied with a smile before walking off. 

She collected Tonotec from an isolated area in the garden. They left before the King could even comprehend what he just talked himself into. Innya hated to admit it because it made her seem like a scheming female, but she had just set her husband up to use the large mass as a huge test dummy, but he fit the role pretty well. _One day he might learn I get better by the second_.

“Mother,” Tonotec said as they marched off to his room.

“Yes?” Innya replied.

“What did Father want?”

“He wants to kill me tomorrow.”

“Why?” he asked. It was an interesting question with a few answers, but she might never know exactly why. 

“He thinks I don’t know my place,” she replied.

His face scrunched up. “What do you mean?” 

“He believes I should never question him, order him around, or state my opinion.”

“Why?”

“He likes to be in control of everything and he can’t control me,” she answered.

“Why?”

“He can’t control me because I won’t let him. I don’t know why he wants to be in control of everything. That would make things so dull. But, never submit to someone you have no desire to allow yourself to be ordered around by. Never.”

“Yes, Mother. Do you think poorly of Father, Mother?” Tonotec asked.

She shrugged. “Like any other person, he has his good qualities and his bad qualities.” Too bad with him, she could name no more than five good qualities, and even that would be stretching things very far. While his bad qualities, well, she did not have enough life left to go into a conversation about his poorer qualities.

Tonotec interrupted her thoughts. “Does Father think poorly of you?” 

“I honestly don’t know what your father thinks of me,” Innya answered. She did not comprehend the King so much so that she could grasp where he stood with her. He obviously thought he was superior to her, but he thought he was superior to everyone. If he did think poorly of her, he would not put up with so much from her. He would have just killed her in some way where it did not look like he did it after she had Tonotec and had her parents train Tonotec to be as deadly as the King wanted him to be. Sometimes, she thought he might respect her to a degree, which was why he left their cub with her, but then he did things like this.

“Will he kill you, Mother?” 

“Something or someone will, but I’m more inclined to believe something before someone, but we all do have our bad days,” she answered with a smile. _Look at Mom, after all_.

Tonotec’s little forehead was so wrinkled. “If he does, what’ll become of me?”

“He’ll take care of you.”

“Like he takes care of you?” Tonotec inquired.

All children could not possibly think as Tonotec did. She did not mind that he was observant enough to see something was not quite right between his mother and father, but did he always have to bring it up? She guessed he did that because he had seen how her parents acted together and compared to how his parents acted anybody could tell something was not right. He seemed to be trying to figure out what was up with his parents. _Good luck_.

Tonotec had asked her plenty of questions in the past where he compared her marriage with his grandparents. He asked things like why his grandfather only had one wife, why his grandparents shared a little house and slept in the same bed, why his grandfather never hit his grandmother, and other things showing his confusion. His parents were not the same as his grandparents when it came to being married and he did not know why. Now, it seemed to bother him.

“Tonotec, your father’s nothing to me, but he’s your father. You’re his heir and his first son. He only gets one of each. I haven’t met a Wolf who doesn’t take care of their cubs,” Innya assured her son. Okay, she was exaggerating a little bit, but the vast majority of Wolves she knew took great care of their offspring. She had no doubt her husband would at least try to take care of Tonotec if something was to happen to her. But, what did that dolt know about raising a cub? Nothing at all as far as she could tell and she did not think he would be able to curb his bad habits for his cub either. She could not die for Tonotec’s sake in the sense that she was his best chance at growing into a decent person.

Tonotec nodded. They had gotten to his room a while ago, but he did not go inside. They stood in the hallway silently before Tonotec spoke up again, “Mother, what will you do when he tries to kill you?”

“I’m going to try my best to take my father’s advice from when he first threw me in the Pit,” Innya replied with a smile. _Don’t get killed_. Probably the best advice he ever gave her.

“All right,” he replied. 

“Just be sure to learn something when the time comes. I’m here to teach you, after all,” Innya told him.

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered. He added in a mumbled, “I hope you don’t get killed.”

“That would be the general idea,” Innya said. Her son was so worried about something she now looked forward to. She would have some real fun tomorrow.

Tonotec nodded and she glanced down at him. He was focused ahead of them and Innya could not help it, but she approved of his attitude and his demeanor. He tried his best to keep his emotions in check, and he did as good a job of that as anyone could expect a five-year-old. He listened to her and obeyed. He always wanted to improve. At that moment, Innya had no doubt she would always be proud of her son.

-8-8-8-8-

The next day, Innya’s appointment with death arrived right on time. The King entered the garden as the teens training session just closed up. The students gasped as their leader walked over to their teacher and slapped her clear across the small garden. She never saw that one coming as she landed on her back right next to Tonotec. He looked at his mother and his eyes said what his mouth did not: do not get killed.

“Get up, Innya. You asked for this,” the King said.

“And you’re all about giving me the things that I want,” Innya replied as she climbed to her feet.

“You don’t deserve anything.”

Innya only smiled. She turned her attention to her students, who watched the scene near the garden entrance. “Lesson one, class, you should always know more about your opponent than he does about you if you have the time to learn.”

Innya charged her husband and he tried to slap her away again. She ducked and was barely missed by his massive claw. He was predictable if nothing else. He always assumed he could hit her with the same move twice. Life did not work that way, but somebody failed to tell him.

“Lesson two, faster doesn’t mean better,” Innya told her students.

The King was much faster than Innya, but since she could predict his moves so easily it seemed like she was cheating while going against him. His body movement was easy to read now and she usually knew what he was going to do before he was even aware of it. He slashed at her with his deadly claws, but he could not touch her because she could time him.

“Lessons three and four, stronger doesn’t mean better and timing is key,” she said.

The King went to punch her, but Innya was still able to get out of the way of the blow. He, for some reason that was beyond her, still believed she was the same little naïve girl that he used to beat on six, almost seven years ago. She had grown much as a warrior and that time was more than enough time for her to learn his body movements, figure out ways to counter him, and all other types of treats he had been letting her in on without even knowing it. There was a slight possibility she might even be able to actually kill him if she ever felt like it and did not make a single mistake in a quick fight. But, she could not kill the father of her cub, no matter how tempting it was. Not right now, anyway. Not while Tonotec would not understand. But, one day, things would change.

“Lesson five, finesse and flexibility never hurt,” Innya commented.

Her students might have liked to disagree when they saw their instructor lean back almost ninety degrees to avoid being split open horizontally by her husband’s claws. She avoided his fists without giving up any ground. He growled and his eyes blazed with fury as he continued to swipe at her, trying to slice through her from what she could tell. 

The King was visibly upset now, sweating and grunting. He swung at her wildly. He was trying to actually kill her, even with their cub right there, but he was still highly predictable. The more she fought him, the more she realized things about him. 

The King was never properly trained as a warrior more than likely. He was just blessed with the strength of an army and the speed of light. It might have something to do with having the two tails, she was not quite sure, but there had to be a reason why only the two-tailed offspring of the monarch could be his successor. It was such a waste on him and she would show him what he missed out on with no training.

Innya blocked some of his punches to show him that his strength was not so superior to her own. She got stronger every day. The only time he could really hurt her was when he caught her by surprise. 

His anger flared, his eyes seemed to burst with light. This was possibly the peak of his ire, so she jumped back. He lunged at her and she used all of her self-control to not laugh at him. He tried to punch her, but she grabbed a hold of his wrist and since he was already going in the direction of the end of the garden, she figured the least she could do was assist him in his traveling. Innya flipped him over her shoulder and flung him well out of sight through the top floor of the palace.

“Final lesson of the day, try to use your opponent’s momentum against him,” Innya said with a smirk as she approached her students.

“That was so damn amazing!” one of the boys shouted.

“Whoa!” another agreed.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Innya waved them all off, as if what she did was nothing. It was incredible and she wanted them to know what she was capable of, so they would work to get to her level. “Now go home and get some rest.” Innya shooed her pupils away and they quickly obeyed, excitement buzzing through them like electricity during a storm. She could still hear them talking when they were down by the front gate.

Tonotec walked over to his mother. “He’s not going to be happy about that, is he?”

“We’ll have to wait and see because he won’t be back anytime soon. I threw the guy with all of my might and he was coming at me at full speed. So, we should just go eat,” Innya replied.

Tonotec shrugged, but he glanced in the direction his mother had tossed his father. Innya rubbed the top of her son’s head a little to get his attention more than to show him affection. Tonotec understood the gesture and his face twitched, like he was about to smile. He held off.

“Should we go into the village? Goat stew and bread would be good,” he said.

She nodded. “It would. With little potatoes.”

“And carrots and greens.” The way his grandmother used to make it.

They made their way down to the village to the little soup and stew spot. They had their stew with soft fluffy bread and drank some hibiscus tea. Tonotec seemed to enjoy it, but each sip filled Innya with sadness. She had not drank enough tea with her mother in life. Hopefully, she would make up for it with Tonotec. She was glad it gave him some solace, though.

They took their time returning to the palace. It was dinner time there by then. It was not surprising that the King was not back yet. A small pride blossomed in Innya’s chest. She was better than she thought. She had not worried over being killed by the King in battle, but she had not expected to best him like this. _I wonder where the hell he landed_. There were high mountains all around them. Maybe he hit a peak and got caught in an avalanche. 

Innya was calm as the table was not served dinner since the King was not there yet. To occupy her time, Innya looked at the end of the table and saw her three counterparts fretting, whispering among themselves. They were all trying to think up reasons as to why their “beloved” husband was absent. Innya did not think they would ever figure out what she did with their all mighty husband. That imbecile might even still be flying as fast as he had come at her. 

Then she turned her attention to her son, who to anybody else would have appeared just as detached to the world as always, but she could see beyond that. He was bothered. He did not want to be there any more than she did.

“Come, Tonotec,” Innya said as she stood up.

“Yes, Mother,” Tonotec replied and he followed her lead.

“Hey, Innya, where are you going?” Ashti asked. Of course she would notice them. 

Ashti was really the only one of her husband’s other wives who dared address Innya personally. The King’s other two wives had enough common sense to leave Innya alone, just like she liked it. Although Innya was annoyed by the very fact that Ashti was as stereotypical as a blonde could get without doing it on purpose and Innya could get angry with her, she could no longer see herself committing any acts of violence toward her. There was just something about Ashti that had manifested itself as some form of innocence that kept Innya from thinking about shredding her now.

“Out,” Innya simply answered Ashti’s question.

“But, we haven’t even eaten yet and our husband’s still missing,” Ashti pointed out as if Innya had somehow missed that.

“The former concerns me more than the latter.” While Tonotec probably was not hungry thanks to the stew, they could still do some bonding over food.

“Huh?” Ashti made a puzzled face. How she lived to adulthood baffled Innya because if she was as dumb as Ashti was she would have been dead a long time ago.

Innya had forgotten this was Ashti she spoke with. That was too many words with too many letters. Innya shook her head and it would be best to leave before she stupidly responded to any more of Ashti’s questions. _Bad, Innya, very bad_ , her brain scolded her for paying Ashti some mind, like the woman was going to say something meaningful.

As Innya led her cub away from the palace and into the woods, she could not help thinking of Ashti. Ashti irked her to no end. She always looked at Innya as if they were friends and, as much as Innya could imagine herself cutting Ashti in half, she knew now in reality she would not be able to. Years back, she could have destroyed Ashti without a second thought if necessary and never had thought about Ashti again. After unfortunately knowing her for years, Innya could not even show her sword to Ashti because the blonde had a problem with violence. Ashti was so clueless and harmless, yet terribly bothersome and Innya did not know what she was going to do. _Don’t think about her. Focus on your cub_.

“Mother, shall we hunt?” Tonotec asked, a small flicker of excitement in his voice as they entered the woods.

“Well, you’ll do most of the heavy work. We’ll try to catch a rabbit,” she replied.

His eyes shimmered as he nodded. Innya let Tonotec assist her in hunting for a rabbit, leaving him to do all of the legwork once they spotted their prey. He was pretty horrible at the survival skill and he could not understand why. He pounced on birds with no problem and could grab rodents with ease, but the rabbits bested him left and right. It amused Innya to watch him try, but she taught him how to go about surviving in the woods while they were there. He was definitely hungry by the time he caught something, putting in so much work going after his prey.

“They’re not this fast in the pins in the village,” Tonotec grumbled, his hair out of place and his clothes drenched in sweat. He held up a small adult rabbit.

She held back a laugh. “In the wild, they have to learn to survive and food isn’t handed to them like the ones in the village.”

She built a fire once they managed to catch dinner. She had never seen a person run into as many trees as Tonotec had done that night. He mumbled while rubbing his sore nose and eating his half of the cooked rabbit. Even without seasoning, the roasted rabbit was better than anything served at the palace table. _We’re going to have to hunt more, even if we continue to go to vendors in the village_. She still wanted to learn to cook with Tonotec as well.

“Mother,” Tonotec said as he licked his fingers.

“Yes?” Innya replied as she put out their fire.

“What’s out there?” He motioned with a sweep of his hand toward the landscape. Their woods went on a ways, but there were mountains beyond, and even more beyond that.

“Everything,” she answered. That was how she came to understand the world; it just housed everything that the village had to offer and what it lacked. It was interesting and fun. Too many experiences to name and she wanted them all for her son.

“Have you seen it all?”

“I’ve seen a great deal of it, but not all. I know someone who has probably seen it all at least twice.” Taeyrin was probably out seeing it now, forgetting she ever existed. Something inside of her pinged, but she shook it away. He had every right to go where his heart desired with whomever he desired. They had both made their choices. “We should get back to the palace.” 

Innya turned to head back home, but he still stared into the forest, licking his fingers, quite content. _One day, Tec, I promise you’ll be out there and you’ll make your mark_. Still, she shook her head at his daydreaming and grabbed him. They began their journey back home.

“Mother, will we ever try to see it all?” Tonotec inquired.

“If it’s our desire,” Innya answered. She really had no desire to see the whole world now, but if that was what he wanted, he was free to try.

Tonotec nodded and they went on in silence as they usually did. Innya never felt the need to start pointless conversations with her son. He would ask questions and she would answer them as best she could. Then they would be quiet and that was how it was. They seemed to connect without any effort and, at times, Innya believed her son was a living extension of herself. It was like her arm was detached from her body and given life. She could not ask for an easier task than raising him.

“Goodnight, Mother,” Tonotec said as they came to his bedroom.

“Goodnight,” Innya replied as the golden-eyed prince went into his room.

Innya went down the hall to her own bedroom and found her husband waiting for her just outside her door. He glared at her the second he noticed her at the end of the hall, but that did not stop her. His shoulders rose and fell with each growled breath. She had to use all of her self-control again to not laugh at him when she noticed his cold expression. 

He obviously had not enjoyed the flight, and that was a shame because some people hunted for thrills like that. He was welcomed to try to kill her again as revenge. She would not mind at all showing him that she was not so easy to destroy anymore. It was like she had told her mother all those years ago, the warriors that were stronger than she was were stupid and that included her husband.

“Yes?” Innya asked him, looking for an explanation as to why he was just standing outside of her door.

“We need to talk,” the King answered.

“I have nothing to say,” she replied and opened her door to enter her room. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: this conversation happens and makes Innya very annoyed.


	17. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

17: Bonding

The King grabbed Innya by arm to keep her from going into her bedroom. This earned him a death glare from his petite first wife. If he learned his odds against her were not good outside, he had to know his disadvantage in a small, enclosed space. His grip loosened without her having to say a word.

“We need to talk in private,” the King said.

“I don’t repeat myself.” Innya had nothing to say to him. She would never have anything to say to him.

“There you go again being difficult. It’s like you were taught to drive me insane. I’m your King, your husband—”

“My own personal thorn in the side,” she added. Somewhere in a book she had never read, Innya guessed there were rules on how a wife was expected to act at a certain class level. Maybe he should have given her a tutor after he stole her.

The King growled and made a fist. He wanted to strike her, or shake her at the very least, but he held off. Innya was the first to admit that violence was the only way to get through to her and usually the only thing she responded to. The easiest way to get her attention would be to strike her, but most people would not be so bold. Ashti was the only person that found something much more effective to get her attention, simply by calling her name in that high pitch, chipper whine the blonde spoke in all of the time.

“I’m tired,” Innya said.

“We need to talk,” he repeated. Did he not hear her or did he think she was deaf?

Innya’s nostrils flared as she let out a sigh. “You know, I’m going to give you one more lesson for tonight and then I’m going to bed. My father told me no person with any real dignity repeats himself because repetition simply means the person you’re addressing doesn’t respect you enough to listen to you and you’re wasting your words on them. Or there’s the other way to take it, repeating yourself shows that you’re being disrespectful because you’re not listening to the person answering you. I’ll leave you to ponder which of those two has just occurred.”

Innya slid her arm from the King’s grip and went inside her room. The King stood there looking dumbfounded for a moment. Maybe she short-circuited his brain for a second or so. He entered her room without her permission and she had expected as much since they “needed to talk.” He grabbed her and forced her to the edge of the bed with her back to him. There were no surprises yet for her. Could he get any more predictable?

“If you have disillusions of mounting me—” Innya started to warn him, and he pushed his hand into the small of her back as he grunted. 

“And if I do?” he asked in a tone that she was not sure of. It was almost soft.

She curled her lip. “You would’ve gone back on our contract more so than I’ll allow and consequences will be reaped.” She would castrate this bastard before she let him rape her again.

“Innya,” he whispered her name, so close his breath tickled the edge of her pointed ear. 

Okay, that was unexpected and just a little bit spooky. A chill ran down her spine. She did not like this.

“What?” she inquired, trying her best to sound annoyed, which she was, but there was something very unnerving about his demeanor. This was unpredictable. She needed to carefully get out of this situation before it got worse.

He caressed her back in a way he never had before. It was weird and awful, like he was trying to be gentle with her. She hated it. “Why are no other bitches like you? Why won’t you let me have you as I’d like to so badly?” He actually whimpered, like a spoiled cub.

“Because I don’t want you,” Innya answered, keeping her composure, even though she wanted to crawl out of her skin. What happened to all of that contempt he held for her? She did not want to find out all of his hostility toward her was actually just pent up sexual desire. If that was the case, she lost the little respect for him that she had. She could handle his hostility, but she could not answer his desire. She had never wanted anyone in that matter, but him especially. She hated him so much it was impossible for her to ever be able to answer anything but hostility. 

“Why not?” he asked her. His hands moved to her sides and he stroked her there. And now she understood. He was trying to turn her on, but he was not getting anywhere. It only made her skin crawl.

She snorted as her throat burned with vomit. She swallowed it down and let it light a fire in her belly. “Besides the plain and simple facts of I hate you and I feel disgusted whenever you even think about putting your hands on me?” 

He purred in her ear, like her words either did not reach him or turned him even more, which was gross to even consider. “I want you, Innya. I have since I first saw you. I want your fire.”

She could not help the scowl on her face. For all of his bullish behavior, he was actually attracted to her. _Disgusting_. “We all want things we can’t have. Now, let me up. I’m sick of being touched.” She flexed a little to let him understand she was in control, even if his actions threw her a bit.

The King complied with her order. The only reason he pinned her down was because she allowed it and the only reason she allowed it was to find out what the hell he wanted. She did not like what he wanted, not that she expected to. She did not know how to process this, though.

Innya rolled over to have her back against the bed. She glanced at him as he stood expressionless to the whole situation. She turned her eyes to the floor after a moment. This could not be what he wanted, right? How could it be what he wanted? _No, he got distracted_. It would not be the first time he let his lust get the better of him and pull him away from the matter at hand.

“What is it you wanted to discuss?” she asked. He had to be there for more than just that pathetic attempt of trying to get to sleep with him or he wasted both of their time. _Well, he often wastes your time and no matter what he says now will continue to waste your time_.

“You embarrassed me today,” he answered.

She rolled her eyes. “Why should I care?” At least that made sense of his presence rather than him feeling her up.

He gave her a cool look. “With the way that I’ve been treating you, I don’t suppose you should.”

“Brilliant assumption,” she replied. She could not roll her eyes anymore or they might flee her skull. Maybe the best way to get through to him was a little violence, too, if he finally admitted he treated her like dirt.

The King growled at her smart remark before continuing, “I told your parents I’d take care of you when they gave you to me. I had little intention but to upset you and screw your brains out and then, of course, I wanted you to have my cub. I had no idea about your ability and how talented you are, though.”

“Obviously.” Which did not make any sense since he wanted her to bear his cub. Why did he breed her if he did not have a true understanding of her?

“Don’t get me wrong. I knew you were something to be feared when you took out my Guards. Those aren’t honorary positions. They earned those places with combat victories.”

 _Could have fooled me_. She had never met a warrior in the village who took the Guards seriously. They might stay away from them in the Pit because no one wanted to be the one who killed a noble, but it was never a sense of fear of their ability. 

The King continued on with his crap. “And your talent, power, everything about you is driving me mad. It makes me so mad. I want to tear you apart bit by little bit, but I want to touch you in every way. You torment me so much.”

 _What the hell is this?_ Was she supposed to be touched? Begging for him to take her? Drop to her knees and service him or bend over for him? None of it made any sense.

 _What’s the point of the whole conversation?_ Her brain kind of shrugged at her. Did he just not believe her when she told him that she hated him right to his face on more than one occasion? There was nothing he could say that was going to change how she felt about him, like how she wanted to slit his throat and pour his blood on her parents’ grave in their memory.

“You torment me also, but for different reasons of course,” Innya replied.

He frowned and looked away for a moment. A frustrated grunt escaped him. “I wish I had left you with your parents. Saved myself so much damn grief.” He shook his head. “I just know I couldn’t do such a thing. Now, you stand before me always and punish me. Why can I not overcome you?” He stared at her, but made it seem as if he was looking over her.

She wanted to throw up so much. Was he confessing feelings to her? _Gross_. Something was wrong with him, but she knew that already. This was just another thing on a very long list.

“I’m not something to be overcome by the likes of you. Don’t waste our time anymore. Just leave me be and we’ll both be less miserable with the other’s presence. There’s nothing you can do, say, or offer that would ever change my mind on how I feel about you. Go be with one of your voluntary bitches.” She waved him away.

“Innya,” he growled.

“What?” she huffed.

“Surely, there’s some sort of agreement we can come to, like when you had the cub,” he said.

She stared at him, unbelieving he was so stupid. “No. You don’t have anything I want and you can’t threaten me with anything.” She did not have anything left for him to use against her. The only thing in her life that held any meaning was their son and he would not harm his own heir, even he was not _that_ stupid.

“I’m sure there has to be something.”

“My dignity and honor are not for sale.”

He looked her up and down and snorted a little. “You’ll come around. I have something you’d enjoy.” Unless he was going to go kill himself and give her a front row seat to the event, there was nothing he could say that even sparked her interest. Well, no, there was something else.

Innya smirked as she decided to tease him for wasting her time. “When you learn to bring people back from the dead or you can travel back in time then we can talk. Until then though, I’m tired and I have a long day ahead of me. Feel free to come to my sessions tomorrow as I can always use a big body to give a demonstration with.”

The King grunted and left. Innya could not help laughing. She and the King were not so different. Apparently, he liked being manhandled as much as she did. That fact did not ease her hatred of the man in any way. He had ruined her life so beautifully it was like he practiced doing it beforehand. It was a life she had very much enjoyed, a life that held everything she needed to be content, and thanks to him, it was gone. There was hardly a memory of what she had left.

She let her thoughts go and did a little swordplay and some reading before going to bed. She woke up, planned out what she would do with her classes, and prepared for her daily ritual. Tonotec entered her room as soon as she was finished dressing, as he always did. It was like clockwork. They tried their hand at breakfast together. Simple hot cereal with berries. They were getting better.

“It tastes almost like Grandmother’s, huh?” Innya asked, bowl to her lips. They were in what was slowly turning into their own private kitchen. It was still pretty bare, but it held ingredients and it was safe to build a fire in it. Soon, she would contract someone to transform it into something proper.

Tonotec’s face twisted. “Kinda. We’re missing something, though.”

Innya smacked her lips together. “Yeah. There is a flavor missing.”

He tilted his head in thought. “Cinnamon.”

“Yes.” She held up a finger. “That is it. When we get a moment, we’ll go buy some. Should we try to cook tonight or go into town?”

Tonotec glanced at their horribly stacked supplies and the little fire pit they had. “We could try with the dried meats.”

Innya nodded and they finished their breakfast. They returned to his room. She personally instructed him through motions and gave him his orders of what he should practice on while she taught her students. Then she went to work with her son trailing behind her.

Innya never said anything, as it did not happen often, but she hated when Tonotec walked behind her. She suspected he was aware she disliked it but did it anyway to be bothersome, as cubs tended to like being in some way. He was a very respectful cub, but she allowed him to walk by her side and he did most of the time. She never wanted him to feel beneath anyone, including herself, so she hated for him to walk in a submissive position. She would have to break him completely of the habit soon.

When they entered the small garden, which Innya had never realized was not so small until she started teaching, but compared to the main garden, it was tiny. Tonotec went to his isolated corner without even acknowledging her students. Her students fell into line. Innya began her lessons and before long she noticed her husband watching. She did not care about him watching as long as he left her students alone.

Tonotec watched his father while he went through his motions. Innya wondered if her much-too-observant son had picked on her hatred of the King and decided to have the same feelings for his father as she had. Innya did not mind her cub hating his father for a number of reasons, like the fact that he was more of a shadow than a father. She could not tell him how to feel, but she did not want Tonotec to hate the King on her behalf. She could do that well enough on her own.

Once the lessons were done, the King stepped into view. Innya’s students, who had been chatting among themselves, collectively shut their mouths when they noticed their monarch. There were a couple of possible reasons for the sudden silence. They could have stopped out of respect for their leader, or they might not have wanted to laugh at the King with him being right there. Innya could see her husband wondering which reason was the real reason for the quiet. Personally, she leaned toward the latter.

“You should get home before your parents worry,” Innya told her students and the teens mumbled agreements as they hurried out of the garden.

“I swear, you have some very lovely students,” the King said as he watched the girls go. It was disgusting. He was old enough to be their father, or grandfather. She was not completely sure of his age now that she thought about it.

She curled her lip. “As if I care. Their looks mean nothing to me. I want them to be useful. Don’t you have better things or bitches to do instead of wasting your time observing my lessons?” Seriously, one of his wives who was not her had to be missing him at the moment to get him away from her. The whole reason why she liked her counterparts was because they kept him away from her. Now, they proved quite useless.

“What I do with my time is none of your business. Can we have a conference?”

“And who would watch my cub?” she asked as if he was in any real danger in the palace. Tonotec was not even a danger to himself because he would not move from a place without his mother’s permission and he would not touch anything without her permission. Still, she did not want to talk to the King. They had talked enough earlier and it had been a huge waste of time.

“You’re aware there are nannies, nurses, governesses, and all other types of people who would do that.”

“He isn’t their cub. I couldn’t entrust my son to some bitch who isn’t even related to him. Blood’s everything and you should know this.” Part of Wolf culture through and through.

“I have no desire for the cub to hear,” the King said. Great, then she probably did not want to hear. If he was going to try to convince her to sleep with him again then she was not going to be responsible for her actions.

She shrugged. “That’d be a problem, wouldn’t it? It’s not my problem, though.”

“Come to my study. He can wait outside.” The King turned and left so that Innya could not object to the idea, which was a good tactic. He failed to realize she could always just not go.

“Will we go, Mother?” Tonotec asked. She groaned. He had heard the conversation. He was not really eavesdropping since he stood a few feet away and they had not spoken in low tones.

“Would you like to go?” she countered.

“I’ve never been to that side of the palace,” he answered.

“No?” She was stunned. But, she realized he was right. The dining room was like a middle ground between “her side” of the palace and the other side. There was no need for him to go over there.

“No.”

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to go and you can see that side. It’ll bring you that much closer to seeing everything if you want to.”

Tonotec nodded and the pair sheathed their swords simultaneously. They both noticed what they had done, but they did not acknowledge it as anything. Innya strolled slowly to her husband’s study with Tonotec by her side now. The servants were all shocked to see the onyx-eyed terror on “their side” of the palace. Innya did not use servants often so there were almost none on her side. They remembered her rampage from when she found out she was pregnant with her cub if their looks of horror and hissed whispers meant anything. In fact, some of them were still walking with limps and that was probably her doing.

“They’re a shaky lot, aren’t they?” Tonotec said about the servants, who all cowered at the sight of them. Innya did not think twice on the matter.

“Be here when I come out,” Innya told him as she entered the King’s study.

Her cub shrugged in reply, which was odd. He was probably considering what she had just commanded and she had purposely worded her phrase as she did. Tonotec would figure out his mother did not simply desire for him to wait outside the room while she spoke with his dolt of a father. She wanted him to go explore the side of the palace that he had never seen before. She just wanted him back to her in a timely fashion.

“You actually showed up?” The King blinked as his first wife stepped into the office and shut the door behind her. She was probably just as surprised as he was.

The King was behind his dark wooden desk. The office was made for someone his size and Innya felt like an insect inside the place. He had a chessboard set up in front of him. She had heard from her father that he was skilled at chess, but it was nothing to brag about. Her father had beaten him soundly every time they played.

“I had nothing better to do,” Innya answered him.

“Well, please, sit down. Do you play?” He motioned to the board. Did she play? She used to live and breathe chess thanks to her father. He swore it would help her think.

“I will and I do.” She sat down and signaled for him to make the first move since he had the ivory pieces in front of him.

“Where’s the cub?” He made his first move.

“Is this what we’re going to discuss?” She quickly countered both his question and his move.

“I have a job for you.”

“A job?” she asked like she cared. Could he tell she was far from interested in anything that he had to say? To top off her disappointment in the meeting, he seemed to think a job would help push her to him, but he was also playing chess like a novice. She cared even less for what he had to say because he was boring her with the game. _Does he think letting me win will assuage my hatred and make me bend to his will?_

“Yes, I want to make you a palace guard.”

Innya ordered herself to not inquire, yet from her mouth she heard the question, “Why?” Yes, why could she not just keep her mouth shut? She did not really care why he wanted to put her in the Guard. She hated the Guard. She had killed members of the Guard, which had proven to be the stupidest things she had ever done in her life. Why in the world would she want to be a guard?

“It’ll give you something to do,” he replied. 

“I have plenty to do.” Did he think he had really made her an offer she would not refuse because she found it very tempting to do just that? But, she did not.

“Something of substance.”

“You act as if I can simply decline,” she said, which she could do, but she did not have the time or patience to bait her husband into a pointless fight of any kind. She was sick of being in his company actually.

“Then you’ll be a palace guard. You’ll go on patrol after dinner until I dismiss you,” he said. 

Was this his way of trying to have some sort of say in her life? She had no clue what he was trying to pull. She would wait and see, though.

“Is that all?” she asked while wondering what part of the discussion did he not want Tonotec to hear. He did not say anything that was worthy of being kept a secret. 

“Yes, that’ll be all.”

“Good.” Innya pushed a chess piece into place. “Checkmate.”

The King gawked down at the board, like he was incredulous she had beaten him so quickly. She could see why her father got on his nerves. He probably beat the King and rubbed in by timing it. 

Innya left the office and found Tonotec where she had left him. He appeared rather bored, as was she. She gave him a nod and they walked off. They went to dinner as usual, but Innya could feel her husband staring at her. Tonotec glared down at his father and she half expected him to challenge the King.

“Tonotec,” Innya said.

“Yes, Mother?” He turned his attention to his mother.

“I’ll patrol the palace grounds tonight.”

“Might I be allowed to join you, Mother?”

“If that’s your wish, but you have to bring your book with you.” She was not sure how long that nonsense would take. Having Tonotec with her might make it better, though.

Tonotec nodded. Innya would have to start asking him what he would like to do more often. He had proven very responsible and mature when he watched over his dying grandfather. Innya trusted him to make his own decisions for the most part and she tried to encourage him to simply state his own opinion and desires.

Before they had to join the royal family for dinner, they went to prepare their own meal. The recipe they used had been given to them by one of Innya’s former neighbors. He seemed confident it was one of her mother’s recipes. They had a long way to go in recreating her mother’s work, but Tonotec seemed better at it than she did. He suggested adjustments they might have to make the next time they tried. She wrote those down.

Once they finished that dinner, they went to sit with the King and his wives. They picked at their raw meat as usual. No one seemed to notice or say anything.

When dinner was finished, Innya waited for her son to retrieve his book and then they went on patrol. Much to their dismay, the King joined them. Innya tried her best to ignore her husband, though it was a difficult task to manage since he was the size of an elephant roughly and he insisted on walking in front of her. If he was trying to get on her good side then he was failing more miserably than she had thought possible.

“Should the cub not be asleep?” the King inquired. Maybe Tonotec’s glaring was finally getting to him.

“The sun’s only just set,” Innya answered.

“He’s a quiet cub.”

“And?” she asked.

“My other sons are all very noisy, even the ones who can’t speak,” he answered. Did she care? No.

“And?” she asked. Why was that relevant to her life?

“Maybe he should meet his brothers.”

She could not envision that going well, but it was not her decision. “Tonotec.”

“Yes, Mother?” the child answered. He was not paying his parents any mind. His nose was in his book while he walked with them. He held the book in one hand and held onto his mother with the other to know when to stop or if he needed to move.

“Your father thinks you should meet your brothers.”

“Brothers?” Tonotec’s face immediately pulled into a weird twist, as if he was not quite sure what manner of creatures these brothers were. “You have other cubs, Mother?”

“Of course, I don’t.”

Tonotec only nodded slightly, which Innya knew was not the answer to her husband’s suggestion. She did not bother Tonotec with matters he obviously did not care about. He would let her know if he ever came to a decision. They both continued to walk silently behind the King. It was torture, even without the King saying anything.

 _Does he think this is a date?_ That was probably it. The very idea hurt Innya’s head. _I’m not going to keep doing this if this is just a joke to him_.

Innya’s patrols did not improve from the first night. The King continued to join her, which irked her since she knew that he was scheming on how to get her to sleep with him somehow. But to ease her annoyance, Tonotec always joined them. She suspected he wanted to make sure his father did not try anything against her. Sometimes, she would catch her son glaring daggers at his father’s back.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the other wives don’t approve of Innya’s time with the King and Tonotec has a rite of passage.


	18. Working Through It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

18: Working Through It

The time the King began spending with Innya did not go unnoticed by his other wives, who only added to Innya’s annoyance. It was not like she wanted to go for long walks with the dolt. If she had her way, she would never see him again, but she could not have her way. Apparently, some of his wives thought her spending time with her husband was a problem, though. They whispered and hissed with each other, complaining about a shared damn husband. _What the hell is wrong with them?_

Ashti did not mind. She had expected to share the King with Innya. Also, for some bizarre reason that Innya could not figure out no matter how long she pondered it, Ashti considered them friends. There was always the possibility, much to Innya’s dread, that Ashti was right because Innya would not be able to hurt Ashti like she would be able to hurt most other people, including the other wives. Did that make her Innya’s friend? Innya did not think so because she had tried to kill the only friend she had ever had, on more than one occasion at that.

There was Aliyana and the King’s fourth wife, a bitch (and Innya meant that in the most negative way possible) with an ego Innya wanted to deflate with her sword, who did not see things the way Ashti did. Aliyana and Resalin, the King’s fourth wife, believed that Innya had all but divorced the King, therefore she did not deserve any of his time. Little did they know, but Innya was the most upset with the recent attention… well, maybe second most upset because Tonotec was certainly less than pleased with the arrangement.

Aliyana and Resalin cut such hateful looks at her whenever they caught a glimpse of her and, even though she did not care for the attention from the King, she also did not care for evil glances thrown her way. After all, he had been her husband first, so who did Aliyana and Resalin think they were? It was not as if she had stolen something of theirs. They shared a husband for crying out loud. How much more pathetic could they get after being so angry with Innya for the King paying her more mind than he was paying them?

She would make her counterparts understand she was not happy with the situation. Not just with the King following her around, but with them looking at her as they were trying to will her death. She did not have to put up with that nonsense and she would be damned if her life was going to be worse than it already was.

So, not long after the angry grumbling started, she went to put an end to it. She found all three of her counterparts enjoying tea in the garden. She left Tonotec to wander the palace a bit while she had a word with the King’s other wives. She invited herself to their little gathering. She flopped down into an empty seat at the small round table and was met by two pairs of angry eyes and a pair of much too happy blue eyes. Did Ashti just not know how to be sad or at least indifferent?

“Oh, Innya! It’s just great that you’re joining us!” Ashti grinned, which Innya acknowledged with a smirk. Ashti was so clueless, but the other two seemed to catch on to the nature of her visit, especially when she put her sword onto the table. Aliyana’s and Resalin’s eyes went right to the weapon.

“I’m sure the other ladies would like to debate you on how great it is that I’m here,” Innya said, which earned her a confused look from Ashti. It was like Ashti could not understand why the other two would not be happy with Innya joining them. Innya shook her head to signal for Ashti to forget about what she said. It was not important.

“Now, we can all be friends,” Ashti declared and she clapped, like nothing would make her happier. She probably thought Aliyana and Resalin thought of her as a friend. They just were not stupid enough to try to upset her, as she always the King’s favorite… when he was not being a complete idiot and following Innya around.

“No, I don’t think we can all do that. Can we, ladies?” Innya asked, staring directly at Aliyana and Resalin. She tapped the center of her sword sheath a few times.

“What do you want?” Resalin demanded with a glare. Ah, ever the bold one Resalin was, and here Innya had thought she would be the wife with common sense. Apparently, she had been wrong, but then again the bitch married the King, so Innya should not expect much from her.

Resalin was all too aware of what Innya could do to her if she desired. It was possible the fool thought the King would protect her should Innya decide she was not fit to take air anymore, but that was not the case. If Resalin annoyed her enough, Innya would kill her and just deal with the King after. He was not likely to be that incensed considering he had more than enough women to keep his attention, even the one who did not want it.

“I see you,” Innya replied to Resalin. She looked between Resalin and Aliyana. “I see you looking at me and my cub and I don’t like those looks. I tend to rid myself of things I don’t like.” So, she was lying a little bit. After all, she still lived on the royal estate and she did not like that much. She could not get Ashti to quit addressing her as if they were friends and she did not like that much. She was still married to the King and she did not like that much. But, aside from those things, she was not lying.

“Are you threatening me?” Resalin asked with an arched eyebrow. Oh, it seemed she had a working brain. What a surprise.

“Do you know what’s the only thing stopping me from splitting you in half?” Innya countered. She could not understand why she needed to enlighten these ladies. They had to be aware they were playing with fire.

“What? The King perhaps?” Resalin smirked.

Innya scoffed and waved that off. “No, I don’t care what he thinks. I doubt he’d care if I cut either of you in half. I’m the only thing stopping me. I have to restrain myself sometimes, but I just decided to change my mind.” She snatched her sword up with unseen speed and before anyone realized it, she was across the table with her blade to Resalin’s throat. 

Resalin gulped. They knew Innya had killed the King’s mistress when she killed Kalycha and they knew she had done it in front of the King. But, none of them knew the reasons behind her actions. There were all sorts of rumors flying about the place for why she had done it. None of them close to the truth. Obviously, Resalin believed the rumors. Innya had killed the girl out of jealousy or because Innya was plain crazy or because she was mean. For those reasons, Resalin was very afraid.

“Innya, that isn’t proper etiquette,” Ashti scolded Innya, holding up a finger. Wait, she was being scolded?

“You’re not serious,” Innya said to Ashti while her victim, or soon-to-be victim started to visibly sweat. Innya was satisfied with that and she eased back into her chair before Ashti said something else that would distract her.

“Innya, you’re going to ruin your first time spending time with us,” Ashti said with a long whine. There were times when Innya just thought Ashti was acting and now was one of those times. Her words and tone did not go with the situation and she had to know that. No one was that oblivious, right? Maybe she was trying to defuse the situation… or maybe Innya was trying to give her too much credit.

“She doesn’t care about that, Ashti,” Aliyana declared and Innya was glad somebody knew that. Then Aliyana went and proved she also did not have a brain by saying the dumbest thing Innya had heard all day, including the things Ashti had said. Aliyana proclaimed, “She’s jealous of us.”

Innya laughed. “Jealous isn’t the term I’d use to describe my thoughts on you, but use whatever you want. Now, let’s make things perfectly clear, none of us are happy with the King’s new hobby of following me around. If you have a problem with it, take it up with him because the dolt isn’t listening to me.” She stood up to leave. She detested being around them, even at dinner.

“No, Innya! You can’t leave yet! Sit!” Ashti grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back into the seat. Innya snarled at the King’s second wife, but Ashti did not seem to mind or she did not notice. Instead, she waved servants over, urging them to put things in front of Innya.

As much as Innya wanted to just grab her sword and get away from the three idiots, she found herself having tea with them. Since her mother’s death, Innya took tea with Tonotec, occasionally, but not often. He seemed to like it, but it brought her less comfort each time she had. There were so many regrets, so much pain.

“I can’t drink this.” Innya curled her lip at the tea. It was not even her mother’s favorite, but the thought of tea was too much.

“Try it! It’s amazing. My favorite,” Ashti said with a grin.

Innya could not even take the smell of tea right now. In fact, it hurt her chest. The tea reminded her of how her mother was unjustly taken from her. Innya’s anger surged up and she crushed her cup in her hand, which surprised the ladies at the table. Innya did not even notice what she had done until she saw the looks on their faces.

“Innya?” Ashti said, her voice was one of concern. Innya did not want anyone to be concerned for her. She wanted to be left alone.

“I’ve got to go. My cub is alone,” Innya said and she stood up. She left the area in a hurry. Innya was not able to have tea again with another person, who somehow was able to calm her soul, until many years later.

Innya tried to shake the memories of her mother away. Her parents had been dead for months now. They were not coming back and she could feel that in the abyss they left behind in her body. They were dead. It was so hard to believe and so hard to accept. She knew they were dead, but it just… well, she did not like thinking about it or remembering them at the moment.

“Mother?” Tonotec said as he found Innya before she could get back to where she left him.

“Yes, Tonotec?” Innya replied automatically. She was not completely there mentally to handle anything heavy from him.

“Are you okay? You look a bit pale.”

“I’m fine. Come on, let’s go train and then read.” She needed something to take her mind off of her parents. Focusing on Tonotec usually did that. 

Tonotec accepted that and followed his mother off to their side of the palace. Despite having Tonotec to keep her attention, in the back of her mind, in the shadow of her soul, and in the middle of her heart, there were whispers of her parents. It was weak to still be mourning. Mourning did not do anything. Her parents were dead, they were gone, and they were not coming back, so she needed to get over it. It was hard and, well, it hurt, all right, she admitted it. It hurt that her parents were dead. She wanted them back, even though it was impossible.

It was probably natural to miss dead parents, she figured. She did not like doing it, though. It just did not get her anywhere. She bet her parents would think she was weak if they knew what she was going through. They would see how they still needed to work on the supposed perfect assassin. She did not want that. She wanted to make them proud.

She looked at Tonotec as he went through motions she set for him. She wanted him to make them proud. She wanted to make him the greatest he could possibly be. She wanted him to be what her parents intended for her. _I can’t let them plague me while I have to build him up_. She needed to put a challenge in front of him. She needed to make him want greatness even more.

“Tonotec, stop,” she said.

He halted immediately. “Have I done something wrong?”

She shook her head. “No, of course not. I think we should try something else.”

“Something else?”

“Yes. We need to do something big to understand where we all are.” Not just Tonotec, but her students and even herself. Where was she as a teacher? Did she even have it in her to make anyone great? Did she have it in her to make her parents proud? Time to find out.

In a vain attempt to get her parents off of her mind, Innya decided it was time for Tonotec to have a real, proper battle. She canceled her sessions and gave her little cub students the day off while getting word to her adolescent and teenage students to meet her at the Pit. She was going to test Tonotec, a few of her more favorite and dedicated students, and if they had the time, she would give a demonstration.

“Well, Tonotec, the moment of truth,” Innya said as they came to the Pit. Her students came at the pair from all angles as soon as they stepped into the area. They all seemed rather eager to prove themselves, too.

“Good luck, Tonotec,” the students cheered him on. Many of the students liked Tonotec, even though he was so antisocial. They understood he was focused and determined. They wanted to be like him, even the ones much older than he was.

“Just go in there and hurt somebody,” Innya told her son.

Tonotec shrugged. She suspected that was because he already planned to go in there and hurt somebody. She wanted to say something more dramatic and something with impact or meaning. Now, she understood why her father told her “don’t get killed.” In the moment, her mind froze up on what to say. Nothing big or profound came to her to sum up the weight of this time.

She ended up saying the first thing that came to mind. It was such a big moment and she had not realized when she went into the Pit the first time. It had just been fun for her back then. Now, as a parent with her own little cub who was just barely six years old and going into the Pit for the first time, she knew it was a colossal event. She felt anxious, proud, and a flood of other emotions she could not identify and did not show. She looked as she always did, indifferent to the whole thing.

Innya watched her little cub stroll into the Pit just like she would, as if he owned the place. He was six years old, but his demeanor was like a confident adult. He looked around at all of the warriors who were fighting or practicing. He was scanning for who he undoubtedly thought would be his first victim. He seemed bored and very uninterested in everything that was going on around him.

“Hey, who let this kid in here?” Bikal, a large male warrior, inquired when he noticed Tonotec. It was rare for cubs to be in the Pit and when they were there, they were usually just lost or looking for a relative. Most warriors would help them out, Bikal especially.

“Hey, is this cub anybody’s?” Keezan, a thin male, asked in a loud voice as he pointed down at Tonotec with his long fingers. He scanned the Pit, looking for someone to claim Tonotec.

“Go away,” Tonotec ordered them with a snarl.

“What?” They both gave him puzzled looks.

“I said go away. I’m looking for somebody to fight with,” Tonotec said.

“What’s wrong over here?” Naya, a female warrior, asked as she trotted over to the scene. She stared down at Tonotec with large blue eyes. “Is he lost?” She looked around, like a curious bird, also trying to spot who Tonotec might belong to.

“The kid claims he’s looking for a fight,” Bikal answered.

“What? This little pip squeak?” Naya broke out laughing, going so far as to slap her bare knee. She fought in short pants.

“You three will do just fine,” Tonotec said and he unsheathed his sword.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” All three warriors began hysterically laughing. Bikal even hugged his middle as he cracked up, like this was the funniest joke he had ever heard. The annoying thing about him was everything was like the funniest thing he ever heard.

Tonotec attacked the three warriors and they jumped back to avoid his weapon. They continued laughing as hard as anyone possibly could while he tried so desperately to destroy them. Keezan laughed so hard that he had to wipe tears from his eyes.

“Stop laughing! Attack me or I’ll destroy you,” Tonotec said.

“He’ll destroy us! Now, that’s rich!” Keezan replied while the other two warriors just laughed harder than ever at the little warrior.

 _My poor cub_. Innya chuckled as she shook her head. Those were Moon Thieves and they were great at their jobs, but they were jokers. She was not sure why they were at the Pit. They did not make it a point to come, unless they just wanted to make fun of people. They did not and could not take anything seriously. There was no way for them to take Tonotec, a six-year-old, seriously. They did not even take fighting her seriously and she had injured them on more than one occasion. They just laughed no matter what, even if it hurt or would get them hurt.

“Get ‘em, Tonotec!” Innya’s students continued to cheer for the little Prince. She had told them to call her cub by his name and to never address him as lord or prince. He was a warrior and all warriors were equal. If he wanted to be addressed as lord or prince by warriors, he would have to earn the respect for that to happen.

Even though Tonotec had plenty of fan support, he was frustrated with his inability to touch the warriors he fought. His movements were heavy, hard, unlike himself. It did not help his mood that the warriors were still dying of laughter. They made fun of everything they possibly could about him, even the fact that one of his boots was untied. And no matter what stupid thing they said, they all thought it was hilarious and laughed even harder. 

“Stop laughing and fight me!” Tonotec slashed at them, but it was too slow and they moved out of the way.

“Hey, I just noticed something! He moves kind of like the Great Killer,” Bikal said.

Keezan’s face lit up and he punched his own palm. “Yeah! He does!”

“He looks like her, too! Like if she was adorable. Oh, man, you guys! This is her cub!” A huge, goofy grin appeared on Naya’s narrow face.

“No!” the two males said in disbelief as they moved out of the way of Tonotec’s sword. They had the nerve to put their hands to their chins as if studying Tonotec, even though they were in the middle of a battle.

“It has to be! No wonder his form’s so good and he got dumped in here. The little fox is training,” Naya reasoned. 

Innya forgot those three clowns could reason. Everything was such a joke to them it was hard to believe they could deduce anything at all. Maybe they would help him improve now that they realized who he was rather than just make fun of him.

“That makes sense!” Bikal held up a finger and then quickly put it down to avoid having it sliced off. “Oh! That was actually pretty good. You almost got me!” He snickered.

“Yeah! So, how old are you, little guy?” Keezan asked Tonotec.

“I’m not little! Stop playing around and fight me for real!” Tonotec growled and he tried to catch them with his sword. They were way too quick for him, though.

“Yeah, this is her cub. He should be what, six now, right?” Naya guessed. Moon Thieves tried to keep up with each others’ lives as much as possible. They were a close group, even with someone who kept to herself like Innya.

“Yeah, he’d be six. Wow, when I was six, I wouldn’t even look at the Pit. It just looked painful in here,” Keezan commented.

“Shut up and fight!” Tonotec yelled. 

The trio laughed even harder, more than likely because they liked to bother people and it was obvious they had “bothered” Tonotec. Then, there was a glint in all of their eyes. They were about to give Tonotec exactly what he wanted. Innya watched while the goofiest Moon Thieves she had ever met pounced on her poor cub. For a second Innya saw herself when she was eight in the place of her six-year-old cub, except for the fact that she had been planted in the ground. Tonotec staggered around on wobbly little legs after his beating. Innya smiled. _My poor, worked over cub_.

“Tonotec,” Innya called him. He was walking away from her and not toward her as she knew he wanted to do.

“Yesth, Mudder?” Tonotec replied, tilted toward a random wooden post. He was so dazed he did not even realize he was not looking at his mother.

“Come.”

“Yesth, Mudder.” Tonotec took one step, which was in the wrong direction anyway, and fell flat on his face.

Innya shook her head and went to fetch her cub before someone stepped on him. She lifted his unconscious body into her arms and retrieved his disregarded sword. The warriors who fought him came up to her with huge smiles on their faces.

Naya giggled. “We picked the best day to show up to this mud hole. The Great Killer and her son here!” she clapped.

“That’s one tough cub you go there, Innya,” Bikal said with a wide smile. He puffed out his chest, as if he was proud of Tonotec.

“He moves just like you,” Naya commented. “It was like poetry in motion, but like, the short version of it. Which, of course, is funny, considering you.” Naya waved her hand over Innya’s head. Innya rolled her eyes at that.

“You better watch out, old lady, because he’s going to give you a run for your money,” Keezan teased her.

Innya smirked. “The whole point is for him to do more than give me a run for my money.”

“That kid would make one heck of a Moon Thief,” Bikal said.

Naya nodded. “I’d definitely be honored to serve next to him. Too bad the future king can’t join a pack or else it shows favoritism.” She made silly mouth movements. 

“Which makes no sense. It’s not favoritism. We’re just the best.” Keezan threw his hands up. None of them disagreed with that. “We’re the best, so we should have the best, and he’s obviously going to be the best.”

“Stick around, I’ve got other wares to show you guys and then you tell me about future Moon Thieves,” Innya said.

The other assassins smiled and they decided to stick around for the show. Innya carried her boy back over to her students and faced them. The young adolescents and teens all gulped, more than likely because the wicked smile on their instructor’s face apparently. They all had reason to not like her expression.

“Well, who’s next?” Innya inquired.

“In the Pit?” the students asked as if they were going to fight some place else.

“Of course, in the Pit. That’s the whole reason we are here, after all. Kalakou, how about you?” Innya volunteered one of her teens.

“M—me?” Kalakou asked in a shaky voice. He was a thin boy and he was missing an eye. When he was younger a drunken solider tried to rape his sister and Kalakou defended her as he was supposed to do. He lost his eye in the battle. He always said it was better for him to have lost the eye than his sister losing her virtue. He was one of those people who would rather defend others than just fight for no reason, which Innya respected.

“Yes, you. Go in there.” Innya pointed to the Pit.

“But—but—” the teen tried to protest.

“Don’t argue with me.” She growled at him and that was more than enough to get him in line.

“Yes, ma’am!” Kalakou dashed into the war zone.

Kalakou was Innya’s favorite frightened student. Mentally, she broke her students up into very little categories and had a favorite for each category. Kalakou was a kid with such low self-esteem thanks to years of being abused and mistreated by almost everyone in his life. He did not see in himself what his teacher saw the first time she laid eyes on his and she had to recruit him. He could read movement rather well, more than likely because he lived in a bad neighborhood and he had been in many, many fights. He was an excellent defender and Innya helped him develop some offense and countermoves. Now, if only the poor kid was not so scared, he might see how useful he was.

The students watched as two warriors, a male and a female, picked a fight with Kalakou for no reason, other than the fact that he looked like a timid rabbit more than likely. He panicked easily and he let out plenty of surprised yelps as he blocked and dodged everything the pair came at him with. He did well and all he had to do was counterattack, which was his major problem. He panicked so easily, he rarely realized when he was doing well and just needed to be offensive to win.

Kalakou eventually calmed down enough to see he was not in danger like he thought he was and he made short work of his opponents. The students roared their congratulations as he returned to the group. He looked like he was in total shock as to what he had just done.

“Next time, I’ll throw you in there with a weapon,” Innya said to him as she patted him on the back.

“I can’t believe I just did that,” Kalakou breathed out. He eventually realized his potential and he became a Moon Thief, as many of Innya’s favorite students did. The pack would respect him enough to only give him assignments that had to do with protecting the tribe.

“Well, does anybody else want to give it a go?” Innya inquired.

Suddenly, a number of her teenage students volunteered. They probably thought since Kalakou could do it then anybody could do it. All of her overzealous teens were defeated; Kalakou had accidentally drawn the attention of a few of the better warriors, who were interested in “playing” with Innya’s students. No one suffered any real injuries, but they were all very embarrassed at having lost. Tonotec woke up by the time his mother’s students had mostly all lost their matches.

“Well, everyone, it’s been a very trying day, hasn’t it?” Innya asked her students and most of them muttered agreements. “I feel a little responsible for everybody that’s either bleeding or hurting, so I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. Does anybody want to see your teacher fight?”

“You’re going to fight?” they all asked leaning in closer to her.

“Yes, I’m going to fight. I’ll give you all a little show and then you’re all free to go home and complain to your parents about how Teacher tried to get you all killed today.”

Some of the students laughed. Innya went into the Pit and faced off with six opponents. Her students cheered her on as best they could, some probably losing their voices in their effort, and she dusted off her opponents easily. She was still improving and she let her students know that. 

“We should always be improving. Your goal should always be to get bette,” Innya said. The students nodded and she waved them off. “Dismissed.” Her pupils limped home talking about her fight and their own fights. 

“You’re even better than we remember,” Bikal told her.

Innya nodded. “I’m not just growing fat over there across the moat.”

“We’d never think that,” Naya replied.

“It’s just… you’ve been quiet since that night,” Keezan said.

Innya took a breath. That night. The night she lost her parents. For some reason, recalling them did not bother her like before. Her fellow Moon Thieves remembered her parents with fondness and respect, just like her. She was not alone in mourning, in remembering.

“I’ve been trying to process as best I can,” Innya said and she patted Tonotec on the shoulder, just for the connection.

“I know we don’t have to tell you, but the pack is here,” Naya replied.

Innya nodded. “I know.” Just like they knew she was not the type to discuss her emotions. She needed time to herself to get herself in order.

“So, we heard all about you taking in youngsters. And, from what we saw, you’re doing a good job,” Bikal said. “Yeah, they got their asses kicked, but they did it with grace we don’t usually see from young idiots.”

“Yeah, catch ‘em before they go wrong and ruin this place more,” Keezan said.

Naya curled her lip. “Isn’t this place a dump? Can’t wait for your students to be serious about it and come down here and clean the place up. We’ll visit more often.”

“Good. They’re going to need the challenge,” Innya replied.

A few other Moon Thieves later copied Innya to help more youngsters out, which was good because really it did not make any sense to have to kill so many youths if it could be helped. It helped clean up the Pit, too, like Naya wanted. Innya and Tonotec set off for home. 

“Should we get food or would you rather us cook something at home?” Innya asked.

“We can get some chicken.” Tonotec pointed in the direction of a restaurant they enjoyed.

Innya nodded and they went to grab some food. They sat down in front of roasted chicken, sprinkled with spices, potatoes, greens, and beans with bread on the side. They ate in silence. Tonotec watched her, waiting. She knew what he wanted, but he would have to ask for it.

“So, Mother?” Tonotec desired a critique of his combat skills. He shoved more food in his mouth. Getting beaten up worked up an appetite all the time. He was almost done with the meal.

“You’ll be great some day,” she answered. He would, she knew that the day he was born.

His brow furrowed and he quickly swallowed his food. “What day?”

“There’s a saying, Tonotec, that you can’t rush perfection. It’s easy to see you’ll be a tremendous force. You have to keep at your training and you can’t get too full of yourself. I don’t want to have to subject you to the torture I was put through to keep me humble.”

“But, you’re not so humble, Mother,” Tonotec said. There was a twinkle in his golden eyes. He was teasing her. Her serious little cub had made a joke.

She grinned at him. “That’s it, Tonotec, you’ve just insulted my honor. I, Innya, the deadliest Moon Thief alive challenge you, Tonotec, novice warrior and heir to the throne, to a duel to the death.”

“Well, I accept, so ha!” he replied. “As soon as I finish this chicken.”

She laughed, but he was true to his word. The moment they were done eating, they had to have their duel. They both drew their swords and began jousting in the middle of the street. It was a playful match, but helped her assess where he was. It lasted all the way to the royal estate. Servants and guards watched the mother and son sword fight with expressions of disbelief. The two began to get out of hand when they started knocking things over, but they did not care. They were entertained and, well, to be perfectly honest, their things were not broken so they really did not care.

“Innya! Tonotec! What in the world do you two think you’re doing?” the King bellowed as the pair continued to jump all over the hallway.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Tonotec meets his brothers.


	19. There Will Be Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

19: There Will Be Blood

“Fighting,” Tonotec answered his father’s ridiculous question of what he and his mother were doing as he ducked behind a statue to hide from his mother’s blade. Innya cut through the marble work of art with ease and her cub was forced to block her sword, which he did with no problem.

“Fighting? In the hallway? With real swords nonetheless. Are you both totally mad?” the King huffed. He had a right to be angry as they ruined his things, but they did not care. It was a little funny for him to ask if they were totally mad considering who he was.

“Calm down,” Innya said as Tonotec forced her to back up against a wall. He held her in place with his sword against her own. He was good for a six-year-old. He could probably beat some of her teenage students.

“Calm down? Are the both of you six years old or something?” the King hollered. Who knew he actually cared about things around the palace?

“I am,” Tonotec answered the rhetorical question. 

The King blinked. “He is?” That was just sad. He did not know how old his heir was.

“Are you telling me that you don’t know our cub’s age?” Innya inquired with a slight frown as she pushed Tonotec back several feet. The King was barely a father in name at this point.

“No, I knew that. I knew it.” His tone was too insistent. He had no idea. “Since he’s so playful, I have something for him to do.” The King snatched Tonotec off of the ground just as he was about to launch his next attack against her.

“Father!” Tonotec twisted, trying to escape, as he was carried off by his shirt collar.

“Come on, boy. Put that weapon away,” the King said.

Innya followed her husband out of concern for her cub. Who knew what the King might do to him, after all. Tonotec frowned. He did not desire to do anything his father wanted him to do. The King carried his displeased cub to the main garden where his other wives were having tea. There were several female servants scattered about the area, and if Innya’s ears were correct there were five cubs somewhere about the place. The King put Tonotec down as a little boy with silver hair and golden eyes charged over to them.

“Father,” the little boy said and it was obvious to everyone but the King apparently that the child wanted some attention from his father.

“Everyone meet Tonotec. Tonotec meet your brothers. Since you’re so playful, play with them,” the King commanded his first son. 

Little did he know, Tonotec did not play well with others. He got it honest. His mother was the same and as far as she could tell the King was as well. _Does he know his other children like this or does he take moments out of his day to get to know them?_ Something told her, the King knew less about these kids than he knew about Tonotec, which was quite a feat.

Tonotec stared at the little boy who ran over and the boy stared back with a frown. Tonotec probably did not care about the look the silver-haired, golden-eyed, chubby-cheeked little boy gave him. He gave off such energy, like he would be impossible to contain. He had Ashti’s energy, even if it was not exactly the same.

Tonotec looked back at his mother, pleading with his eyes for her to save him. She gave him a teasing smirk. _Better you than me, little cub_. He growled at her and tapped the hilt of his sheathed sword, a silent promise he would get her back for such torture. She gave him a tiny nod. She would look forward to it.

“Wow, he’s got a sword!” two other little boys shouted as they charged over. They were identical twins with red hair and golden eyes. They looked about the same age as the other little boy, but they were a little younger. Tonotec backed away from all three children as the twins started to reach for his sword.

“Mother!” Tonotec said, keeping his eyes on the cubs. He tried to not sound distressed, but he was too loud to be anything else.

“What?” Innya inquired.

“What’s going on?” Tonotec asked as he continued to back away. He probably did not realize he was retreating further into the garden rather than toward the closest exit.

“These are your brothers. You have two others. Now, play,” the King said. Did he know that cubs did not play on command, especially when they were not comfortable around people?

“I don’t play,” Tonotec replied and he did not “play” in the same sense that most cubs played.

“You seemed to play just fine in the halls, destroying priceless works of art that are older than I am.” That was probably pretty old. “Now, play with the boys,” the King all but shouted. 

Tonotec did not flinch at the loud noise, which was not surprising. But, he did not move either. His face was tense with his upper lip a little curled. He would probably bolt at any moment.

“He’s scared!” the silver-haired boy declared, pointing at Tonotec. 

Tonotec did not do well in crowds of people if he was the center of attention. And why should he do well? For the first five years of his life, the only people who paid him any real mind were his mother and grandparents. He did not know what to do with all eyes on him, especially if it was more than six eyes.

Tonotec halted and straightened, rising to the challenge. He stood up tall, shoulders squared and chin tilted just slightly in the air. “What do I have to be scared of? My mother’s the great killer and she’s my teacher. I am her cub.” He boasted with more pride than Innya thought she would ever be able to muster while he stepped over to the loud mouth brat. And then he spoke his first condescending introduction, “I am the great Lord Tonotec and you’ll never be worthy of my time.”

Okay, it was time to get him out of there if he was arrogant just from being around his brothers. “Tonotec,” Innya called him over.

“Yes, Mother.” Tonotec gave his little brother a lingering glare before going over to his mother. She was proud of him for standing up for himself, for not moving when his father tried to scare him, and for knowing his blood had value, but she was angry with him, too. He saw himself as better than his brother just because of his blood, which was not right. If he wanted to be better than someone, he was supposed to work at it and prove it. Blood did not make him better than anyone, even if it gave him a good head start.

“We’re going,” Innya said.

“Nonsense. Let the boy get to know his brothers,” the King replied, motioning to the trio of cubs. 

“He doesn’t need to know his brothers,” she replied. _Especially if he’s going to act like he is around them_.

“He’s a Wolf,” the King pointed out, which translated to, “he has to know his blood until they prove it’d be better to not know them.” Tonotec’s brothers would have to prove to be something like their father if he ever wanted an excuse to not have to know them or spend time with them. They had to be total idiots, which Innya believed they all were, even the ones not yet born. How could they not be? Look at their mothers and their father.

“You’re right. Go, Tonotec,” Innya said.

Tonotec let out an annoyed huff and muttered something about how he should have a say in what kind of torture was being used against him. He was aware family came first above all matters in the Wolf tribe, but he thought of his family as just his mother. She was the only family he saw on a daily basis. She was the only person to show any interest in him and she took care of him. 

Now he had brothers, and he was clearly not happy with that. He asked her once “what does one do with brothers?” She did not know the answer to that and neither did he, which was clear from his first encounter with them and beyond. She did not think he ever figured out what to do with brothers. What to do with one brother, he got a bit of a handle on that, but the whole group left him baffled for the rest of his life.

“So, who’re you all?” Tonotec asked as he glared at them. 

“I’m Jatchko,” one of the twins said. 

“And I’m Jechko,” the other said. 

“Can we see your sword?” both twins asked at the same time.

“Can you see my sword?” Tonotec squinted, trying to process the question. From the pinched look on his face, he could not figure it out. 

Tonotec stared at the twins as if they were insane. No one had ever asked him to see his weapon. They had asked him to move with it or to show them what he could do with it, but not just to see it. He probably did not understand why someone would want to just see a sword.

“I can show it to you thoroughly,” Tonotec remarked, but that went over his brothers’ heads.

“He probably doesn’t even know how to use it!” the silver-haired boy declared and pointed in Tonotec’s face.

“I bet he does!” Jatchko argued.

“He doesn’t and don’t argue with me!” the silver-haired boy said, glaring at the younger boy.

Tonotec looked over to his mother, still silently pleading with her to save him. She knew how he felt since Ashti was trying to goad her into a conversation. If only _he_ could save _her_. She was a little entertained by his situation, so she would not save him if she could. It was a good distraction from Ashti chirping at her. 

Tonotec growled at Innya for leaving him to such torture. She stood expressionless while he turned back to his brothers. He was not going through what she was going through by trying to block Ashti’s annoying chipper voice. He should be thankful he was out there and not with her. 

“I’ll show you how to use my sword,” Tonotec said with a smirk. For a moment, Innya wondered if he was going to do something that she had wanted to do for about seven years — namely, kill somebody in the royal family. She had a feeling he would not be doing that, though, even if it was tempting.

“Yes!” The twins cheered as they threw up their hands.

Tonotec unsheathed his sword and went into one of his usual fencing routines with the air. Innya could not help smiling as she watched him. He was good. He moved gracefully, but with purpose and precision. It was so beautiful that he easily captured the attention of everyone in the garden, servants and royalty alike.

“Wow, Innya, Tonotec’s really something,” Ashti said and Innya shrugged in reply.

“He moves like a girl!” the silver-haired cub shouted. A couple of people had teased Tonotec in such a manner before and he never understood the insult. And why should he? His mother was a girl, he wanted to be just like her as a warrior, and so what was wrong with moving like a girl when fighting? He even asked her once what was wrong with moving like a girl as he fought and what made girls’ and boys’ movements different when fighting. She had left him believing that nothing was wrong with it because nothing was wrong with it in her mind. 

The twins caught onto the joke, though, and they laughed. Tonotec did not mind it seemed or did not notice, which was not very likely. It was best to ignore idiots anyway, especially if they could not be killed for whatever reasons. Maybe Tonotec learned that on his own.

“He’s coming along rather well. He looks very gifted,” the King said.

Innya scoffed. “That’s no gift. You have no idea how hard he worked to get there and he has such a long way to go.” Tonotec worked his ass off to be this good, and he still had so far to go. She had to keep that fire lit in him.

“All he’s doing is dancing! He can’t use that sword!” the loudmouth brother said, pointing at Tonotec.

“Is it you’d like me to use it on you, chatterbox?” Tonotec inquired and Innya knew where things were going. Well, it was not her fault. After all, she had tried to get her cub out of there and the King stopped her.

“My name’s Hetanu, not chatterbox! You can’t use that stupid sword anyway!” the boy yelled and in what seemed like an instant to the cub more than likely, Tonotec had his sword to his little brother’s throat. Innya saw it coming and she would have stopped him, but it was funny. 

“And you’re dead,” Tonotec replied as he sheathed his sword while his frightened brother just stared at him.

“He’s about as social as you are,” the King said to his first wife.

“Maybe even less,” Innya muttered. Of course, she did not blame him. She had grown up in a packed neighborhood, knew everyone around, and could at least exchange simple small talk with them. Tonotec did not have that. It died with his grandparents. “This was your idea, though.”

“Whoa!” the twins shouted as soon as they found their voices. They ran over to Tonotec and asked him what sounded like a million questions in one breath. Tonotec was unnerved once again because of the rush, the fact that he did not know the boys, and the fact that they were much too close.

“Shut up!” Tonotec hollered at the top of his lungs. The twins blinked in confusion and backed away from their older brother. Tonotec took a deep, soothing breath and then addressed them in his natural calm tone. “Don’t you all ever stop talking?” he asked.

“Don’t yell at them!” Hetanu said as his voice finally came back. Innya had no clue that children when left in a group could be so entertaining.

“Mother,” Tonotec called again. He was not looking for salvation now, but intervention before he hurt his brother.

“Come, Tonotec. We have other things to do,” Innya said.

“Better things,” Tonotec added, looking at Hetanu and then he left with his mother. Strangely enough, their interactions did not seem to get better even when it seemed like Tonotec liked Hetanu.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya would have liked that to be the end of Tonotec having to ever interact with his brothers again, but no, that would have been too good a thing to happen. The King kept insisting Tonotec spend time with his brothers, and he was supposed to do so anyway. His brothers took time away from his training and studying and since they were so weak and annoying, Tonotec developed a superiority complex. Tonotec could do whatever he wanted to his brothers. Innya tried to teach him to ignore them. Instead, he threw his weight around with them and bullied them because they irked him.

Innya observed her cub closely when he was with his brothers. Half the time because she was worried about him and the other half because she was worried about what he might do to them. Even after years passed on, she watched him and, much to her dismay, it took three years of the King’s sons to ruin her son’s attitude. Though Tonotec could be and was crushed at the Pit, he came back home and pushed his brothers around whenever they provoked him. He got full of himself because he could kick them around.

Innya tried plenty of ways to humble her son. She fought him as much as she could, but that was pointless. They both knew she would win any bout between them before the match even started. If she finished him quickly, it meant nothing to him because he knew she was practically invincible and he was just a cub. He never expected to beat her at such a young age. He believed he was superior to those around the same age as he was, but not adult, experienced warriors.

Innya had let some of her better teenage pupils and adolescent students fight Tonotec, but that was also meaningless. He figured out her plan it would seem and knew the students she let him battle were ones who could defeat him. After all, she never let him fight her pupils his age. He would have wrecked her little cubs. Six years of work took half that time to ruin. Innya could just slap her dolt of a husband for his “brilliant” idea of introducing Tonotec to his brothers.

At nine, his poor grandparents probably would not recognize him as the same cub. He did not take tea anymore, associating it more with his brothers’ mothers than his own grandmother. Cooking had been replaced with spending time with his brothers. 

Innya noticed her son had a preoccupation with his little loudmouth brat of a brother, Hetanu. The brat hounded Tonotec and Innya’s cub never failed to rise to the occasion to fight his little brother. Innya did not like Tonotec “playing,” as Ashti had put it, with Hetanu because Innya had to not only watch her son crumble, but she had to watch the pair along with Hetanu’s mother. _Life just never gets easy, huh?_

“Oh, Innya, isn’t it just wonderful the way our boys get along? Just like brothers,” Ashti beamed as they stood in one of the palace gardens. Hetanu’s mother just had to be Ashti. Innya was very, very curious to know what she had done that was so wrong that her life had to be filled with misery almost every waking moment.

“Um… yeah,” was the only response Innya could come up with. She did not see what was so wonderful and brotherly about Hetanu trying to hit Tonotec, who was now nine while Hetanu was only six, and then Tonotec flinging the little boy several yards across the garden. They looked rather serious about the whole battle, too. She did not know much about brothers, but she doubted they were supposed to try to kill each other like their cubs seemed to be trying to do.

“And they look so much alike!” Ashti squealed with joy, clasping her hands together. When did the cubs’ appearance become relevant? 

“Yes, they do,” Innya replied. The two had the same hair color more or less. Tonotec’s hair was colored black on the ends, possibly a reaction to the sun, but who knew. Hetanu’s hair was totally silver. The boys had the same eye color, tail color, but other than that nothing much was the same. Innya thought it was difficult to tell the boys were brothers, especially from the way they acted with each other.

Ashti clasped her hands together. “I think they just adore one another.”

Adore? That was not exactly the term Innya would use when describing the boys. She would not go so far as to say they loathed one another either. There was something between them as far as Innya could tell and it was not hate. They both seemed to be determined about something. Innya later figured out that Tonotec was attempting to train his dimwit brother and the dimwit was trying to become a better warrior. Who would have guessed?

“Are you serious?” was all Innya could ask when Ashti spoke on how the boys adored each other. They adored each other like rival lions surveying a kill.

“Of course! They get along so well, just like us! They’re the best of friends, like us,” Ashti answered.

 _All right, could a bolt of lightning just strike one of us dead already_ , Innya prayed. Any death would do for her at the moment, no matter how random or bizarre it was. She could not take Ashti anymore. 

“They’re such little treasures. Hetanu’s tutor tells me that he’s very bright. He said Hetanu should be the heir to the throne,” Ashti said and she was not trying to knock at Tonotec. She was just reporting without realizing the implications.

“Oh, really?” Innya made a mental note to have a “talk” with Hetanu’s tutor if he wanted to compare her cub to that little loudmouth brat.

“Yes, but I told him Tonotec’s really smart, too, and I’m sure he’ll be as good a king as their father,” Ashti seemed to be bragging for Tonotec.

“Not if I can help it,” Innya muttered. She did not see what made their husband a good king at all. Unless good meant irresponsible, indulgent, arrogant, and selfish. She could go on forever, but that was not the point. Innya had half a mind to challenge him for the throne herself in order to actually have the crown do something for the tribe’s good just once. The King did not know anything about the tribe and he did not do most of the people any good, unless starving to death in crowded, crime-filled areas crawling with vermin counted as good.

“They look so much like their father!” Ashti grinned. She was giddy over it.

Did Ashti have to remind Innya that her son had his father’s hair, eyes, and not to mention his two tails? Tonotec really did not look much like the King, but just having some of the King’s features irked Innya. Even the height she could see her son was going to have angered her. He was almost taller than she was and he was only nine. Sure she was short, but males did not really grow until they were about fifteen and for him to be taller than her at nine, that was just insane.

“Innya, why don’t you have another one?” Ashti asked in a rare moment of seriousness. Thanks to having to watch their cubs “play” Innya knew a little bit more about Ashti than she ever cared to know and surprise, surprise there were times when Ashti showed there were more than cobwebs in her skull.

Innya contemplated her answer to the question. She wanted to answer carefully because, unlike herself, Ashti did not have the choice of having another cub if she wanted to. So, Innya did not want to respond with something she would consider rude, even if Ashti was annoying. 

Ashti suffered from a reproductive defect that was found in nearly a fourth of all Wolf females where they could only have one cub. Innya never cared about the issue, even though her own mother had been limited to just her for the same reason. One of Innya’s reasons for staying with her parents for what she had wanted to be her whole life was because she was the only cub that her parents would ever have, and she suspected that was why her mother wanted to be a grandmother so badly. Her mother had had a lot of love in her and she had needed more than one cub. It was unfair.

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t want Tonotec. I didn’t want anything from the King, even his cub. I never want him to touch me again and I agreed no other man could have me, so Tonotec will be enough for me,” Innya confessed. Even now, the thought of someone touching her intimately made her want to flinch. She never wanted it and the King’s treatment of her ensured she would never want it.

“Why would you not want our husband to not touch you? Don’t you love our husband?” Ashti asked.

Innya looked at Ashti as if she was stupid. “That question is so absurd. Why would I love him?”

“Because he’s a great man,” Ashti answered with a laugh, like she thought Innya was silly for not knowing that fact.

Innya shook her head. “We must have two totally different views on great. I don’t understand why you do love him and you don’t understand why I don’t.”

“You know… I don’t mind,” Ashti admitted.

“Mind what?” Innya asked because there were a lot of things in the palace that Ashti could not mind.

“Not being able to have another cub.”

Of course she would not mind that. The King did not sleep with his wives when they were pregnant and Ashti would never be pregnant again. She probably got the most attention out of all of the King’s now five wives. Ashti needed nothing more in the world it seemed than to lie beside the King. Love was a strange thing.

“I don’t mind Hetanu either,” Ashti said.

“I don’t doubt that,” Innya replied. While she had not wanted Tonotec, she did not mind him.

“I love him to pieces really.” Of course she did. She spoiled the little brat whenever she got the chance. Anybody who thought she did not love Hetanu was just about the stupidest person on the planet, which said a lot since Ashti lived on the planet.

“Of course you do,” Innya said.

“Don’t you feel the same with Tonotec?” Ashti inquired. Now, she was getting much too personal.

“What does it matter?” Innya replied as if that was an answer. She loved that little arrogant cub more than she would have ever thought possible. She would do anything for him, especially if it meant his life would be better than hers.

“He’s a good boy. I’m happy he and Hetanu get along so well.”

At least one of them was happy with the arrangement. Innya had more thoughts of suicide than she believed were healthy as Ashti prattled on in the high pitch chirp that she claimed as a voice. Did Ashti have to smile as much as she did? It was extremely annoying. Who in her right mind was always so happy? Well, Innya would not call Ashti’s mind right, but still even abnormal people had more emotional variations than she did. People who were under heavy sedation had more mood swings than Ashti did.

Whenever Tonotec got tired of Hetanu or the younger prince had to go study, Innya wanted to do somersaults to express her relief that Ashti would no longer be in her presence, even if it was just for the rest of the day. She had yet to figure out why Ashti thought they were friends. Their sons fighting each other daily did not make them friends. Sharing a husband did not make them friends. She was sure of that because she shared a husband with three other females who did not think they were her friends. Living on the same planet did not make them friends. She was sure of that, too, because a bunch of people lived on the planet and she was not friends with any of them. Where in the world had they become friends and somebody forgot to inform Innya of that fact because she would have promptly killed herself after learning that. 

-8-8-8-8-

“Mother, why do you speak with Hetanu’s mother?” Tonotec asked as they settled in their library to do some reading. It had grown over the years. He swung his feet back and forth from his chair and he did not seem to notice. Innya did not bother him about how childish his actions were, even though he liked to act so grown up.

“Why do you associate with Hetanu?” she countered. She thought she had him, but he had a reply for that.

“Promise,” he answered.

 _He’s got me there_. “All right. If only my answer could be so profound. She speaks to me and rudeness simply won’t do.” At least that was what her mother had told her when she was about four years old and she always pretended that people were not there if they tried to speak to her.

“Why not? She’s not worth your time, right? It’s not rude to not bother with those beneath you.” He sounded so much like his father that it seriously scared her. She was almost certain he had came to that conclusion without any help from the King, which was even worse. _Can rudeness and arrogance be inherited?_

“That’s a poor attitude, Tonotec. If you think too highly of yourself, you’ll only end up disappointed.” She knew about that firsthand.

“What’re you saying, Mother?” he asked with a slight wrinkle in his brow and she realized he felt insulted.

“First of all, if you want to be seen as being above someone, you have to earn that right. I can’t say I’ve done anything better than Ashti to prove that she’s beneath me. She and I have nothing in common that I can do better than she can. Second of all, on any given day if you let your confidence carry you, you’re bound to fall. It hurts when you fall, too. Third and last of all, with such an attitude, you’re likely to fail to seek out a challenge, thus you’ll regress.”

“Have you regressed?”

“I’ve had my ego blown back to earth more than enough times,” she said. He needed to hear that.

“By who? Grandfather? Grandmother?” His eyes brightened a little as he spoke of his grandparents. It was nice that he had not forgotten them as he seemed to lose himself.

“And others,” Innya answered. Warriors used to kick her around like it was a sport when she was little. Moon Thieves kicked her around when she joined the pack. The test to be a Moon Thief was dangerous and painful. Those things were humbling.

“But then, you wouldn’t be the best,” Tonotec said. “The best should be able to beat everybody all of the time.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Would you like to test me then?” 

“How can you be the best if you can be defeated?”

“Well, everyone can be defeated on any given day. It’s just that nine and half times out of ten, I’ll win depending on who I’m up against. But, I have to constantly be learning and challenging myself or eventually someone will come along and topple me. When you get older and you’re the best, you’ll see what I’m talking about because I’ll still be able to give you a good workout, but you will be the best, just like I was with my parents. The best doesn’t mean perfect because nothing’s perfect.”

He pursed his lips. “Then what does it mean?”

“You’ll be able to beat those that you are supposed to beat and as far as the rest of us go, we’ll be here to still present you with a few surprises.”

“How long did it take you to be the best, Mother?” he inquired.

“Years, I had to dethrone my father, after all. That was the most challenging thing I can think of. He wasn’t an easy one to best. And there were so many times when my mother was able to get the better of me, even though I was the best.” 

“So, when will I be the best?” Tonotec asked.

“When you can understand and apply everything I teach you and all that you learn on your own. Not just in fighting, but life in general. You have to develop your own unique way to live your life and do what’s right for you,” Innya answered.

Tonotec nodded in response. Innya thought about what Tonotec had responded to in regards to his spending time with Hetanu. Tonotec saw promise in his little brother and he was trying to help him. Maybe Tonotec was not as lost as he appeared if he was trying to help such a brat. Innya did not see much promise, if any at all, in Hetanu. He was just too far gone to teach and he swore he knew everything. He was obnoxious and spoiled and he always expected everything to go his way, which was his mother’s fault. Innya had to say if Tonotec could teach Hetanu anything at all, especially volume control, she would never criticize her son ever again. Maybe that was his challenge in life, keeping him going and growing.

Tonotec had a long journey ahead of him if he wanted to be the best thanks to his new attitude. When Innya had gotten full of herself, it always set her back a few steps in becoming the best and she was never openly brazen like Tonotec was. But, her cub was still determined and wanted what he wanted, which was good. He never lost his drive and desire no matter how much he fell away from her.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: time goes on and Innya feels like her son falls even further away from her.


	20. Fixer-Upper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

20: Fixer-Upper

Life went on, as annoying as it was for Innya. Between Tonotec’s attitude and having to hang around Ashti nearly everyday, Innya was ready to jump off the palace roof to solve her problems. Too bad that would not kill her because it was not high enough. Instead of wasting her time and diving off the roof, she vented her frustration in training. She did not have any other outlets for her anger and annoyance.

Innya trained at night after she put Tonotec to bed. It was the only time she had left to herself considering she still patrolled the palace at night, which was a huge waste of time. She did not do it for as long as the King wanted, but he still followed her, pestered her and irked her in every way. 

Some nights, when the whole day seemed unbearable, Innya trained all through the night until the sun came up and then she would go about her day as usual with teaching her sessions or taking Tonotec and some of her students to the Pit, then sit through Tonotec, Hetanu, and Ashti. She would muse on how well her mornings went because that was the time when Tonotec never said anything to remind her that she was losing him. 

It plagued her even now, as she practiced in the garden, going through moves and exercises. She was doing something wrong with Tonotec. She could not get through to him, did not know how to get through to him. Nothing she tried worked and she was not comfortable asking any parents she knew their opinion or methods. Sometimes, she thought Tonotec had no clue how lucky he was that he was so young and also not her father’s cub.

Innya could not bring herself to strike her cub to inflict serious harm. Her father used to hit her to get her line all of the time, but, like most people, he knew she responded best to violence. Innya’s father had wounded and injured her alone more times than any of her other opponents combined because of her conduct or behavior and sometimes she just had a smart mouth. If Innya did something her father did not approve of, he made sure she knew about it immediately and most of the time she knew not to do it again, especially if her mother agreed with the punishment. Sometimes, when she was younger, she would even have flashbacks to stop her from doing something her parents would consider stupid.

Innya told Tonotec more times than she cared to admit about his attitude and behavior. He was not listening to her and she was tired of wasting her breath on him as he spiraled down and out of control. She could not help being bothered by her disrespectful cub and yet she could not strike him to correct him.

“I must be weak,” Innya concluded since she could not hit her son to try to make him better. 

She should be able to hurt Tonotec if it was to get him back on track, as that was what parents did to cubs when they got out of line. Her parents had done that. What was wrong with her? She could not even reflect on her own childhood on having a similar problem because she did not have any younger siblings that she could bully like her son. Up until she was thirteen, warriors at the Pit were using her body to see how quickly they could break a bone. Innya’s ego had not gotten really out of hand until she was about fifteen and her father proved she was mortal extremely quick. Being fifteen and able to kill plenty of people made her an adult because she could take care of herself, unless she had to cook a meal, and her father did not like her success going to her head, especially when she had made a comment directed at him by accident.

She could not deal with Tonotec as her father had with her. Her father had beaten her to the point she was bedridden for days a few times. She could not even hit Tonotec, so beating him to the point of him not being able to move was out of the question. Plus, he was only nine and not quite an adult. She had been fifteen, and in reflection rather well deserving of the clobbering that she had gotten. Why could her cub not be fifteen? She would have stabbed him a long time ago if he was an adult as she had been, and not just once either.

Since when could Innya not solve something with violence? Ever since she had ended up in the stupid palace! The royal estate messed her up and it took her too long to see. Now, the poison had seeped into her precious son. What had these people done to her? She was so pathetic now. She was weak. So, she trained with the hope she would get strong again and she would be able to save her cub.

“Mom, Dad, your cub’s weak. I’m a disgrace. I’ve ruined your blood,” Innya growled as sweat flew from her knuckles as she let her fists fly.

Innya was vexed beyond rational thought most of the time. She did not know what to do with herself anymore. She growled in pure fury and ripped her vest shoulder. She looked down at herself and she was disgusted with what she saw. She raised her sword to her arm, angry with her limbs for no longer being able to serve a good purpose. She made a cut along her bicep, thinking it would help force her to get back on track. Cutting was a new habit. It was not helping and the scars were adding up.

“My body will pay until it’s useful again, until I’m useful again. I’ll pay for this as I would if Mom and Dad were still alive. They’d punish me for this failure,” Innya told herself. From now, the cutting would not be about relief, but about punishment. It had to be about something because she was not sure she could stop right now. It was just something she needed to do.

Her wound did not go unnoticed the next morning, as it had been the first cut she made that was on display for everyone. Since she only wore vests, her wound was easy to see. Tonotec knew he had never seen the angry-looking wound before, so it had not always been there. The moment it caught his attention, he stared at it for a long moment.

“Mother, were you cut in a recent battle?” Tonotec asked, even though such a thing was highly unlikely. He watched all of her fights, so he would have seen the cut when it was fresh if she did get it in a battle.

“No,” Innya replied plainly as they went into their morning exercises.

“When did you get cut?” he inquired as he pointed to the “scratch” on her arm.

“Last night.”

“From who?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.” She waved the whole thing away. It was nothing because it did not help. Nothing helped. “There’s work to do.” A signal for him to focus on his moves. Of course, he ignored that.

“It looks deep,” he said, leaning in a little closer.

“Looks aren’t everything, now are they?” she replied. The cut was deep because she wanted the scar to be permanent. She had cut herself almost to the bone the last night.

“But, Mother—”

“What?” she huffed and glared at him.

He was unfazed. “You are untouchable.”

She was untouchable to everyone, except for herself and that was only physically. Mentally, her nine-year-old son had more than touched her. Tonotec had defeated her. He had beaten her without any effort, without a weapon. Hell, he probably did not even know that they engaged in a battle and he won! 

The day lulled as she taught her classes. It was good to put her students through the paces. They listened to her. But, Tonotec was always at the forefront of her mind, just out of the way of the crowd. He did not do anything wrong, but watching him do exactly as she said now, only for him to disregard her desires later made things so much worse.

-8-8-8-8-

“Innya, you don’t look well,” Ashti commented as she and Innya watched their sons interact, as Innya decided to label what the boys did. Innya was waiting for one of the boys to seriously hurt the other because she always thought it was going to come to that from the way they went at it.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Innya answered. She did not get any sleep last night, or the night before that, or the night before that, or the night before that. The last time she had gotten some sleep was about a month ago. It did not bother her much back when she was younger and really training. She used to stay up for about three months straight. It was not healthy, but it could be done thanks to Wolves endurance and stamina. Now, she felt sick over it.

“It shows. You should get some rest,” Ashti said. 

“I will,” Innya replied. How was she supposed to sleep when she had a cub who would not listen to her and thought he was so great when he was nowhere near what he would be if he only listened to her like he used to? Tonotec was a better warrior when he was six than at nine. He never believed her when she told him that, as he swore he would be able to defeat his six-year-old self.

“And I mean soon, Innya. You look so dead,” Ashti said, as if she were responsible for Innya. 

_If only I could be so lucky_. “I know,” was Innya’s lame reply.

“And what happened to your arm? That’s a nasty looking cut.” Ashti pointed to the slash on Innya’s left bicep.

“Accident.” She waved the matter off. Of course, Ashti did not take the hint. 

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Her bad habits of not sleeping and training all night had to be catching up to her if Ashti noticed she looked practically dead. Tonotec had noticed much sooner, but she assured him it was nothing. “It’s nothing” was turning into her catchphrase. The King had even noticed a week before Ashti did that Innya did not look well. Innya always lied to satisfy anyone’s curiosity. If her husband had not been trying to sleep with her though, she suspected he would not have noticed or cared she was overworking herself. Innya was so frustrated and she did not have a clue on what she was going to do.

The King was the third person to see Innya’s cut. He was concerned, as much as he could be anyway, but she did not care. He influenced her cub and he helped bring Tonotec down, yet he had the nerve to act like he cared about her. If he cared, he would leave their cub alone. She was so irked by everything that she wished she would just die to not have to bother with all of the crap anymore.

“But, things are never that simple and I still have so much to do.” Maybe she would be able to figure out how to pull Tonotec back to her. _You haven’t figured it out in years. I doubt another few weeks will help_. Still, she tried.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya was able to maintain her nightly routine for almost two months, which surprised her. She was too old to be doing such things, especially with such a poor diet as they had in the palace. She and Tonotec had not kept up their cooking habit, so she ate more raw meat than she would ever care for lately. It all caught up with her, as she knew it would. She passed out while teaching her night session. By the time she regained consciousness, it was morning and she was in her bed. Tonotec was asleep by her side in a chair. His tails swayed in his sleep. It was almost cute.

“The cub doesn’t listen to me, but he dares to show concern when I fall ill? I should hit this boy with the blunt side of my sword to show him my wrath,” Innya grumbled as she rubbed her face.

Her son seemed to just mock her by caring. If he was so concerned, he would listen to her and he would not be regressing as a warrior and person. He made her so upset with his concern for her when he did not seem so concerned for himself. Did he not know that he was what mattered?

Innya stood up and stretched. She scanned the room for her sword and then noticed Tonotec held it in his grip with his arm hung off of his chair. Innya could not decide if she wanted to take her blade and risk waking him or just leave so that his presence would no longer bother her. She eased her sword out of his hand and, she guessed, sneaked out of the palace. It seemed Tonotec was supposed to be standing guard over her or something just as silly.

Innya retreated to the Pit and found herself in a murderous rage. She was not sure if she could still kill. If she could not discipline her cub properly, she figured she could not display her power on warriors who doubted her. She no longer had to prove herself at the Pit. The number of young morons was going down, so there was little reason to kill anyone. To vent her anger, she beat over ten warriors and the only mercy she showed them was allowing them to live.

“Innya!” she heard her husband bellow. She turned in the direction of his bark and saw him with Tonotec. They both frowned, which caused her to frown also. _Great, now, they’re allies_. Could this get any worse?

“What?” Innya replied as she approached the pair. She glared at them.

“What is that you think you are doing?” the King asked, glowering right back at her.

“I think I’m enjoying myself. Go away.” She dismissed the duo with a flick of her wrist. For the first time in a long time, she had felt a little better.

“Mother,” Tonotec said.

“Go away,” she repeated, which was against what her father taught her, but they were not listening and what else could she do?

“But, you’re sick,” Tonotec replied.

She curled her lip at him. “I am sick, sick of being bothered.”

“Mother?” Tonotec tried to keep his emotions in check. At least he remembered to do that. He was not visibly hurt, but she could see the pain in his eyes and she heard the little tremble in her title. He had the nerve to be hurt that she wanted him to go away. He had been going away from everything that she taught him for years, but now he was hurt because she requested it?

“Don’t ‘mother’ me, Tonotec. Go back to the estate and beat on your brothers some more.”

“But—”

She growled and her tail thrashed in aggravation. “No buts.”

“Innya!” the King barked because he more than likely did not like how she was treating his heir. Like he cared about Tonotec so long ago when she had been trying to make him into a better person than she was. No, he did not care then. Now though, now he was the great, concerned father as their son drifted more to being like him. She just wanted to throw up. 

She held up her index finger and frowned. “I want to be left alone and if you two want to try to change that, we’ll come to blows. Then you’ll be blown away.” She was completely serious. The way that she felt, she could and would take on her husband and son without any feelings one way or the other about them. _Are you so sure about that?_ Husband, yes, son, no.

The two males stared at her for a long moment and then wisely left her alone. Innya spent the day at the Pit constantly fighting. When that was done, she wandered the village at night. She did not want to go home and yet she did. She found herself standing in front of her old home in her old neighborhood. There were eyes on her, but no one approached her.

“Had you not been stolen from us, things would be so different,” Innya said to the ghosts of the past. Try as she might, she was not what her parents wanted her to be and she would probably never get there without their guidance. She had nothing. Shaking her head, she left the area before someone wanted to reminisce about her parents.

She went to the drunken quarter of the village looking for disorderly people to punish, but she did not find anyone deserving her wrath. It was just people having a good time or sad people drowning their sorrows. She had to resist the urge to join them. She wandered by the homes of many Moon Thieves, but could not bring herself to go to them. It was not fair to visit them with her troubles when she never visited them with her joy. That was not the proper energy for her to bring to people. She went home, _and it is home now_ , even though she wished there was someplace else she could go. 

Innya went to the garden on her side of the palace. She sighed and stared up at the sky. She smelled Tonotec approaching and she had little inclination to speak with her disobedient, know-it-all little whelp. She did not turn around to acknowledge him when he entered the garden. She hoped he would take the hint and leave, but he did not.

“Mother, have I angered you?” Tonotec asked almost as if he was afraid he had. If he was so scared, he would have listened in the beginning, but he did not, so he should not try to faze her with a false tone.

“What should you care if you have?” Innya countered.

“Am I… a bad cub?” he asked as if it pained him to know.

“Why would you ask?” And why would she not just tell him plain and straight that he was? Well, she was weak.

“I know I’ve done something that has angered you. Is it my fighting?”

“Partly,” she answered because his fighting was sloppy now. He thought as long as he could beat those he was supposed to beat it was fine.

“But, what else then? Why are you so unhappy with me? If you don’t tell me why then I cannot change,” he said.

“Telling you things is pointless, Tonotec. I tell you things all the time. You hear me, but you don’t listen. You don’t adhere to anything I say, ignoring the best of my words for your own delight,” Innya replied as she turned to face him since he was not leaving.

He nodded. “So, I’m a bad cub. I can change, Mother.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I can be better.” His voice trembled.

He was afraid, genuinely afraid. He looked as if he was made of stone and he acted that way too, but she knew him well. She could see his fear in his golden eyes. He should be afraid. He was a bad cub and as far as he knew Innya might kill him because of that. Hell, she could have done and almost been right. But, she doubted that was why he was afraid.

She had been ill. He got a chance to see something she never experienced until it was much too late. He learned his mother was mortal. It was quite possible he worried over losing her as he had lost his grandparents. Who would he have then? So, maybe he wanted to get back into her good graces or rebuild what they used to have. That was fine. Everyone was entitled to make a few mistakes in life, so she could let him make his few mistakes if he was serious about improving.

“Come here, Tonotec,” Innya said.

“Yes, Mother.” He complied quickly. He even fell to his knees before her. 

Innya felt the urge to rub the top of his head and tell him everything would be all right, but she fought that feeling. It would make her seem apologetic toward him. She was still quite upset with him. She needed to know he would get back on the right path.

“You must be tested.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“You’re to stand out here all night.”

“Why?” he asked.

She scoffed. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. If you move or you go to sleep, you merely prove that you’re weak and you’re not worthy of our lineage. I’ll return for you before breakfast.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Innya abandoned her son in the garden with a task she knew he would fail. He probably would have succeeded if she allowed him to move, but the stillness and the boredom would be his downfall. He had forgotten any technique that would have helped him through, as he had felt those were not necessary in defeating those he could defeat. He was asleep within a few hours. 

She took him out of the cold and put him in his bed. When he woke up, she was staring at him from the other side of his bedroom. He looked down at his sheets, as if trying to make sense of what happened. There was a long stretch of silence. His face turned red as if he finally understood the problem.

“Mother… I am weak,” Tonotec mumbled as if he did not know that until just then and he was ashamed of that fact. He was supposed to be ashamed. That was the whole point of the exercise. Now, they would work on fixing the issue.

“Come on, we’ll eat and then there’s training that needs to be done,” Innya replied.

Tonotec was embarrassed and ashamed beyond belief and she knew that from personal experience. Her father had used the same tactic on her once, except she had to be still for days and he stood there with her to prove it could be done. She felt so ashamed when she had failed. Tonotec’s humbling would help put his mind back in order, which it did and his attitude problem vanished. He stopped beating on his brothers just because he was stronger than they were and he began listening to her again.

More than that, they were able to enjoy each other’s company once more. They picked back up on trying to cook and they read together. Innya abandoned her duties of patrolling at night. The King never said anything. She assumed it was because he noticed she used the free time to train their son.

-8-8-8-8-

There was order in Innya’s little universe again and her body was more than grateful because her scarring ritual had gotten a little outlandish. It was a good thing most of the scars were places that people would never see. She continued her nightly training routine and sometimes Tonotec joined her. When Tonotec trained with her, they usually just had mock battles.

“You’re not winning tonight, Mother,” Tonotec said as they faced up in the garden.

“Unless you can channel dead warriors or I drop dead during this match, I think you should quit while I’ll allow it,” Innya replied.

He scoffed. “You allow quitting?” He did not recall a time when anyone she faced, him especially, was allowed to quit.

“Only in the beginning and end. Feel free to quit now.”

“Sorry, but my mother told me that quitters won’t be tolerated.”

Both of them smirked before attacking. They clashed blades for a few minutes. Innya toyed with him for a while. It was good to see him working back to where he used to be, but he had so far to go.

Then they were both distracted. Someone approached and they did not pay the person any mind. But, it was odd for them to have people on their side of the palace after Innya’s students went home. They still heard the footsteps, even though they tried to ignore the noise.

“Maybe a servant just had insomnia,” Tonotec said, even though that explanation in itself was crazy. No servant would dare wander onto their side of the palace and even if they did, they would avoid any place that sounded like it held activity as they tried to find their way out of Innya’s area. 

“Quite possible.” Innya nodded. So, it was not “quite” possible, but he had more than she had on the matter.

The two ceased fighting when they realized whoever wandered the hall had stopped at the garden entrance. They turned around to see a teenage girl with long black hair and pale skin that glowed in an eerie manner thanks to the moonlight. She was dressed in rags, which hung awkward on her skeletal frame, like moss dangling from a thin branch. She stared at them with large brown eyes. Tonotec glanced at his mother for an explanation. She had no idea who the girl was.

“Yes?” Innya called to the stranger.

“Um… excuse me… but, I’m new here,” the girl tried to explain, but she was obviously shy. She stumbled over her words as her eyes went to her feet as addressed Innya.

“And?” Innya stepped forward, just in case. Maybe the girl was a new mistress for her husband or a lost servant. She tried to place the girl’s scent to see if it was mixed with the King’s if only to determine if she was indeed one of her husband’s new toys.

“I was… well, I’m lost and…” the teen trailed off and her eyes darted to and fro, but remained fixed on the ground.

“That’s not our concern,” Tonotec said and he was right, even though he should not say that because it was very rude. The girl was so pitiful though, which made Innya wonder when in her life she started taking pity on people. It was bothersome.

“We’ll help, though,” Innya told the girl.

“Mother?” Tonotec gave her a puzzled look.

“Even though things aren’t our concern, it doesn’t hurt to lend a hand every now and then, even if we don’t feel like it. It might prove useful in the future,” Innya told her son in a whisper of a voice. Maybe this was the teacher in her. 

Innya stepped over to the girl and inspected her for a moment. The girl was, of course, taller than Innya. Innya blocked the girl’s view of her bare feet forcing the lost female to look at her.

“I… I’m trying to find… the servants’ quarters…but, it’s just so big,” the girl explained in a small voice. She made a useless motion with her hand.

“You’re a new servant?” Innya inquired.

“Not exactly,” she answered and her voice broke, almost as if she was ready to cry.

Innya arched an eyebrow. “Then what are you exactly?”

“Um… see… the royal chef… he bought me… I’m… his slave,” she replied as she tugged on the short, grey tunic that fit someone of her status. It barely covered anything.

“The chef?” Now, the chef was a bastard Innya had nearly killed on several occasions for petty harassments and hushed words about her mother. He was not a man Innya could ever or would ever like and the only reason he remained alive was because the King liked him, which Innya thought reflected very poorly on the chef as a person. Even calling him a chef was a lie, as it took very little effort in serving raw meat.

“Yes, the royal chef. He bought me today from a barkeep,” the girl said.

Innya grimaced. “Your masters don’t seem to be getting any better. What does the chef intend to use you for?” 

The girl tried so hard to hide her face. Innya could guess what the chef wanted a slave for. Had she mentioned he was a bastard?

“Pleasure. I… well, I’m looking for his room now,” she replied and it sounded once again like she wanted to break down into tears. 

Innya’s jaw tensed. If a female did not want to sleep with a male, then she should not have to. This girl obviously had no desire to warm the chef’s bed.

“You don’t wish to please him, it seems,” Innya commented.

A soft whimper escaped the girl. “I don’t have a choice. He bought me.”

Innya was not really into the idea of buying a person either. Thanks to the King, she did not like the idea of an adult owning another adult. So, Innya could relate to the girl, more than she liked to admit actually. Innya could feel compassion also, which not too many people would guess since she was so ruthless. Innya was only ruthless in combat and she felt compassion for the girl standing before her. It did not hurt she detested the chef also, so she would help the girl.

“Well, the chef’s room isn’t on this side of the palace. Not too many people have rooms on this side as a matter of fact, so we have plenty of free space for someone, like you,” Innya said.

“But, my master won’t be pleased,” the girl objected. She sounded like she was scared of the chef, or maybe just masters in general. She probably did not have a great master before the chef, considering how malnourished she appeared, so it would make sense if she was afraid of masters point blank.

“It’s my mother’s job to displease as many people as she can around here. Besides, you shouldn’t argue with the King’s first wife,” Tonotec spoke the truth.

“First wife?” The girl gulped and fell to her knees. She almost banged her chin against Innya’s head, but Innya moved in time for the girl to have a clear path to the ground. “I beg your forgiveness, My Lady! I didn’t know it was you. Please, don’t have me killed. I’m just a slave—”

Innya snorted. “Stop and get up before you lose my sympathy. I’m not ‘my lady’ or whatever else you call the King’s wives around here.” It never occurred to her that she had a title beyond “mother” and “teacher.” She did not like it. “If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have you killed. I’d do it myself and enjoy it.” 

Those words probably scared the poor girl more. The slave girl climbed to feet quickly. She did not look at Innya or Tonotec, though.

“Just do as my mother says. Your life will be a lot easier. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about,” Tonotec said as he made his way out of the garden. “I’m going to bed, Mother. I’ll kill you tomorrow morning or night, whichever.”

“You’ll kill me in a dream you have tonight and that’ll be it,” Innya said as her son retreated to his bedroom. She tried her best to fight down a smile, but it ticked onto her face for a brief moment. She managed to shake it off and then turned her full attention back to the slave. “I’m Innya. You are?”

“Ya—Yayi,” she stammered through her own name. 

“Don’t be afraid. There’s no reason for you to be so scared. Come on, I’ll show you to a free room. You can stay there from now on and you don’t have to worry about your master anymore,” Innya said.

“Yes, ma’am.” Two little words would change their lives forever.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Innya gets to know Yayi better.


	21. Room For One More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

21: Room For One More

Innya walked off to show the girl, Yayi, to a room. Yayi walked behind Innya with her head down. It irked Innya that the girl walked behind her. Innya just hated when people walked behind her. She should not be irked. As a slave, Yayi was walking in her proper place, but Innya still felt she was equal with a person until something proved she was better than the person. _You’re being irrational right now, you know?_ It was not like it was the first time.

“You’ll stay here from now on,” Innya ordered as she opened a door to one of the guest bedrooms. 

Innya was being a little lazy. She usually would not have ordered such a thing, instead she would have asked Yayi if she liked the room or not. She just wanted to go to bed since the day had taken a weird turn. She gave Yayi the first free room that was on the way to her bedroom from the garden.

“Ma’am, I couldn’t. This is way too good for me,” Yayi said as she looked around. The room was plain, but fitted for a guest of the royal family. It probably did feel too good for a slave, but it did not matter. She would not take no for an answer.

“It’s just a room. Go.” Innya pointed in the room.

“Yes, ma’am!” The girl yelped and scurried into the room. 

“If you need anything and you happen to spot a servant, just tell them you’re my guest. They’ll know better than to contradict you. If you don’t find a servant, ask me or Tonotec. We’re close by.” If this girl actually turned out to be a problem, she and Tonotec should be able to handle it. Nothing about her body language or body type suggested she should be a problem, though. In fact, she looked like a heavy breeze might knock her over.

“Thank you, ma’am.” The girl bowed.

Innya waved that off. “Don’t thank me yet. I could be setting you up for all you know. You don’t know my motives, so be a little suspicious. It might save your life one day.” After all, she would watch this girl like a hawk until she was certain she was not a threat of some kind.

Yayi looked up at her, still in her bowed position. “Yes, ma’am, but you just seem very honorable.”

Innya scoffed. “Anyway. There should be spare clothes in there, if you need it. There’s a private bath.” That drew a gasp from Yayi. A private bath was the lap of luxury to a person from the lower classes. “Goodnight.” 

“Again, thank you so much. This is too much.” But, with that objection, Yayi stepped into the room.

Innya started off down the hall and heard the girl’s door shut. She sighed and shook her head. “What have I done?” She would eventually find out, so she would not let it bother her for now. She went to her room, cleaned the day off of her with a warm bath, and went to sleep. It was a surprisingly peaceful rest.

-8-8-8-8-

Innya got out of bed bright and early the next morning to torment the King’s favorite servant, the “royal” chef. He was such a bastard he actually went by “royal chef” instead of his name. It was something she learned that day from talking to servants, wanting to find out if he talked about buying a slave girl. He threw the title around for clout and it worked. People kowtowed to him for the simple fact that he worked for the King. _If my mother had lived, she’d have torn this guy limb from limb years ago_. 

Innya sneaked up on the chef to frighten and rattle him. Yes, Innya could be a real bitch when she put her mind to it, but some people deserved it. She probably should have spent more of her time making his life a living hell.

“Madam!” The chef shrieked when he turned around and nearly fell over Innya. He managed to hold onto the plate that had whatever so-called food he prepared.

The chef just looked like a pervert to Innya. He was tall, but hunched over in a somewhat ghoulish manner. He had pockmarked skin with spots and boils along his forehead. His long grey/white beard was knotted with spit dried in the hair. Was good grooming too much to ask of the man? She did not like the fact that the Wolf who handled their meals looked like a man that had not bathed in the past couple of decades. He did not smell very pleasant to be around either.

“How was your night last night?” Innya asked him, sounding more casual than she thought was possible for herself.

He stared at her for a long moment, grey eyes trying to figure out why she was there. “It was fine, ma’am. Thank you for asking.”

She tilted her head. “You mean to tell me it wasn’t lonely?”

“What do you mean?” he asked as if he did not know, but she saw the light come on in his eyes. He was playing dumb… well, maybe not totally playing. He turned, trying to act busy.

She tapped her chin with her index finger as she moved with him, making sure he could see her. “Where did you get the currency to purchase a slave?” 

“A slave?” His voice went a few pitches higher as his eyebrows jumped up high on his forehead. He was not supposed to bring personnel into the palace without permission from the King and the King did not give permission to any of his staff to do anything that they wanted, even if he liked them. The palace was the King’s domain, under his complete control, except for when Innya wanted to act out anyway. No one else would dare, except the chef apparently. 

“Oh my, aren’t you just a little too old to be going through puberty? Now, I know you bought a body slave. Shame on you.” She wagged her finger at him. “It’s rather bold you thought you’d get away with this. You don’t even deserve a slave, so I’m going to take her as payment for the last time I owe you for.”

“Ma’am?” he said as if he did not agree with her decision. A bead of sweat slid down his face.

“What? You want me to take the slave and break your leg? I can do both if you want.” That would be fun.

The color drained from his face. “Ma’am?”

“Or, I could take the slave, break your leg, and inform the King that you happened to invite her into the palace. I’m sure he’s fully aware that you managed to have enough sway to purchase a slave, yes?” She arched an eyebrow.

The chef swallowed hard. “I was going to get his permission after the transaction went through, but he was busy.” From the way he was sweating, there was no way he asked for anyone’s permission. He just hoped no one noticed. He might have gotten away with things if Yayi had not gotten lost.

She chuckled. “I’m sure he was and I’m sure he would give you permission. He is such a gracious man, right?”

“Madam, surely there’s something that can be done?”

“Oh, yes, something can be done. Do you have a problem with me just taking the slave?” Innya tapped the hilt of her sword to remind him that she could kill him and be gone before he even realized it. He had to know she did not care too much about what her husband would think if she was to take the life of his favorite servant, not that he would remain a favorite if the King was aware of him smuggling slaves into the palace. There had to be hundreds of other chefs in the tribe that could use good work and they probably washed their hands before preparing food.

“No, ma’am! Of course not!” he replied, almost earnestly. He held his hands up in surrender. Sweat poured off of him now, like she threw a cup of water on him. 

“I didn’t think so. You sure have got a lot of nerve bringing a slave in here. You have a lot of nerve trying to subject such a little girl to pleasure you.” Yayi looked to be on the younger side of teen, which was a special type of disgusting. “Well, since you want to be so giving and loving to this girl, you can give her a job here in the kitchen. Understand?” She gave him a devilish smirk. 

“Yes, ma’am.”

She stared him down. “You better not touch my slave. If you do… well, let’s just say all of those other punishments I’ve handed you will be nothing compared to what’s going to happen when my hand just slips with my sword in it and your body’s right there. Do we understand each other?”

“Of course, we do, ma’am. Of course we do.” His shirt was damp now. He had to know how close he was to dying right now.

“Good.” A wicked smirk settled on her face. She hoped he touched Yayi, just not too badly, and then she would have an excuse to kill him and she would send Yayi on her way.

Innya was satisfied with her “good” deed for the day. Yes, she defined “good” differently from most other people. While she was using Yayi to goad the chef, she had saved the girl from having to touch the chef, so that had to count as good.

Innya went about her day as usual. She even accompanied Tonotec to the Pit, even though she did not see the point of her going anymore. Tonotec was once again shaping up into a fine warrior and he could hold his own without her there. He had even killed a few people with skill recently. He was building a reputation and warriors at the Pit had even given him a nickname. They called him “the little Moon Thief” because they thought if he was not the prince, he would be a Moon Thief. She hated admitting it, even to herself, but it was flattering.

Innya would have liked for her son to be able to join the great order of assassins like her and her parents, but royalty could not join any groups or packs in the Wolf Tribe. Beyond the fact that it would look like favoritism and could tear the village apart, there was the pride that went with the royal blood. Long ago, it was decided the royal line was the most superior group in the tribe and all of the other groups and packs were beneath them. Thus, it was a waste of any royal family member’s time to be a part of any group. The royal family simply was considered the best and why should they bother with anything else?

Innya did not believe in such a philosophy, which was why she remained a Moon Thief even after marrying the King. Since she married into the royal family, the rule did not apply to her. She did not have royal blood in her veins, which she was happy about. After learning some of the royal history, Innya felt sorry for her son to have such blood coursing through him. With luck, her blood and attention would beat out what the King had given him. But, learning the history of the royal family helped her better understand her husband.

The King actually could have been worse. He had ancestors who purposely starved the village, making them hungry so he could use that to go to war. It was written up as a positive, though, as the wars helped expand the Wolf Tribe territory. Never mind the fact that thousands of Wolves died. The upper class land was built on a hill of dead bodies from a couple of hundred years ago when a queen decided it was the best land the Wolves had, so she executed anyone who did not clear out by a certain date. And, Innya did not even like knowing that once the tribe was ruled by a Wolf who ate other Wolves. It was like every other royal was the worst creature ever.

“Yeah, so go train that out of your son if possible,” Innya told herself. 

-8-8-8-8-

“Mother, why’d you help that slave?” Tonotec inquired as they set up for their nightly fight in their garden. He stretched his legs. He had his own routine now and it was good to watch.

“I had selfish motives,” Innya replied and she did not want to admit to herself at the time, but she was lying. She helped Yayi because she related to the girl and she felt sorry for her. It was just a bonus to be able to make the chef wet himself with fear.

“Don’t you say that everyone has selfish motives?”

“Actually my mother said it.” Selfish did not always have to mean wrong.

He shrugged. “In any case, it was said and there are always selfish motives for the simple fact that even if you do something for someone else, you’re doing it for you because it makes you feel something, good or bad depending on what you’re going for. Now that I think about that does sound completely like something Grandmother would say.” He scratched his chin. It was nice he remembered how his grandmother sounded. “Anyway, may I ask what your motives are?”

“I enjoy seeing the chef sweat and I need a reason to cut his head off. So, I’ve stolen his slave and ordered him to give her a job in the kitchen, but also ordered him not to touch her. I doubt he’ll be able to resist since she’s going to be working so close to him. He’ll give in soon and I can kill him. Or, he’ll torture himself by wanting to touch her, but he’ll be too afraid to lose his head,” she explained. The plan sounded right in her head and out loud, but life had other plans.

He nodded. “Either way you win then.”

“Yes, but I’d rather take his head than to torment him. If he’s gone, then others won’t be tormented.”

“So then, your motives aren’t completely selfish, but also for the greater good,” Tonotec replied.

“What do I know of good?” Innya inquired.

“More than you pretend not to know,” he answered.

Innya did not reply. What did she know about being good? Nothing. She was a ruthless killer and nothing would make her believe otherwise. Killers were not good. So, any help she provided was only to further her desire to destroy something. Tonotec did not seem to believe that though, nor did Yayi.

Yayi came over to the front of the garden as Tonotec and Innya were finishing with their first round of fighting. He was drenched in sweat and out of breath, but he had caused his mother to work up a sweat as well. _He’s getting on so damn well_. How much longer she had at the top of the warrior tower with the way her cub was starting to fight? She could not wait to surrender the position to him.

“Um… Mistress, I just wanted to thank you,” Yayi said as she bowed to Innya. Tonotec snickered, but caught himself before Yayi noticed.

Innya glared at him and then at the girl. “Don’t call me Mistress. I don’t require a title to feel good about myself like so many idiots around here.” She really did not see herself as the girl’s owner. Innya owned her cub and even that was not going to last forever. She would never own anyone else, nor did she want to.

“Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am. I just… well, where do I stay now?” Yayi asked, tugging at her short tunic. She had not made any use of the guest clothes. 

How had the girl found out she was now sort of Innya’s slave? Innya had not seen Yayi at all that day to tell her that the chef had given her away. Well, that she stole Yayi, whatever way it was. There was always the chance Yayi heard someone talking about what happened since the kitchen was not very empty when Innya went to torment the chef that morning.

“Didn’t I give you a room?” Innya asked.

“Yes, you did, but I thought—” Yayi tried to say.

“That’s your room. You stay there and that’s that.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Everything in that room is yours, so help yourself to the stuff.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you can call me my name.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She squeaked when Innya frowned. She stood there, frozen in place.

“Is that all?” Innya inquired with a curl to her upper lip. She was not too sure about her good deed right now. The girl was cutting into her time with her son and did not seem to understand Innya did not want to own her.

“Yes, ma’am!” Yayi squeaked and ran off.

“You scare her,” Tonotec said. 

“Somewhat.” Innya waved it off. That was an understatement, but everything seemed to scare Yayi at first.

“You scare most strangers,” Tonotec said. He never seemed scared of her except for that time he discovered she felt he was a bad cub. He did not seem to understand truly why people were so afraid of her, but as he got older, he began to comprehend it. She would never say she really frightened him, though. If anything, he learned to be cautious around her when he got older.

“And?” Innya asked. There was always more to one of his observations.

He smirked. “I can’t wait until I scare people, too.”

Innya shook her head to his desire. He was confused on what he wanted. He wanted the respect that she garnered from most people with brains, not the fear she got from a lot of people who did not know her. Yayi, for instance, did not know her and was afraid of her, but that changed after a while. 

-8-8-8-8-

Yayi eventually warmed up to Innya and rather quickly, which shocked Innya. Yayi made little excuses only a few days in to visit Innya during her night training once Tonotec was asleep. Yayi would ask if Innya needed anything or if there was something she might be able to do for her “mistress.” Yayi seemed disappointed a lot of the time when Innya informed her that she had no use for her. Yayi really seemed to want to be of some use to her.

“Yayi,” Innya called the girl one night a little over a fortnight into having the girl around. 

Yayi stood in the shadows, watching Innya practice and pretending she was not there. It was probably best practice for a slave to be close to her master, but out of sight. Innya could not stand it.

“Yes, ma’am?” she replied as she stepped into the moonlight. She was dressed in proper clothing now. Not quite royal silk, but light cotton with detailed thread work, making a forest design on the outer robe. Her hair was done now, combed down her back and decorated with a few beads that were left in her room. She smelled of wild flowers instead of saw dust. It was a step up. She was still quite thin, though.

“Do you want to talk or just stand there all night watching me like you’ve been doing the past few nights?” Innya inquired. If Yayi wanted something from her, then she would rather Yayi say what it was instead of behaving so oddly.

“Talk?” Yayi echoed as if she did not know what that meant.

“Do you want to talk to me?” Innya asked. 

“Um…” Yayi trailed off in that annoying manner she always did. Yayi could never get a sentence out it seemed. She stammered through things like she was in the middle of an earthquake when she did manage to get a sentence out. It probably came from years of being allowed to speak only when spoken to and knowing the wrong answer to anything could result in pain, but it was still annoying.

“Talk,” Innya ordered. She was sick of Yayi’s cowering nature and her standing there not saying anything when there was something obviously on her mind. She was not a slave anymore, so she did not have to worry about being harmed. _Well, no, that’s not true_. She did not have to worry about being harmed, but she was still technically a slave.

Yayi shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

“Do you want to go home?” Innya inquired. It was the most logical thing to her since Yayi was a slave before coming here. She probably had a family and she might miss them and wish to go back to them. If that was the case, Innya would send her home without a thought. There was always some other way for her to get to the chef and Yayi deserved to be with her family if that was her desire.

Yayi shook her head. “I don’t have a home anymore. My parents died a long time ago. I had an older brother. He lost the house and everything. He was a drunken gambler. He just died a few months ago.”

“You’re sad then?” Innya asked, even though she could not detect a hint of sorrow in the girl’s tone.

There was a snort. “I’m glad that bastard’s dead. I’m shocked he lived as long as he did. He was a sorry excuse for everything. He acted like he was a warrior, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t a warrior like you are. He hated real warriors like you because he could never be like you.”

“Like me?” Innya asked as if she did not understand. What did Yayi know about her or warriors? There was more to Yayi than she thought.

“Yes, you. You are the only known Moon Thief, after all.”

“Yeah, that’s how it works,” Innya said. She was the only known Moon Thief now that her parents were gone. The Moon Thieves only allowed their best warriors to be known publicly because it gave off the idea that all Moon Thieves were as destructive and forceful as the ones that people knew. Make no mistake, though, the ones people did not know about where about as bad as the known ones.

“People at the bar used to talk about you so much. I couldn’t even imagine the feats they said you did,” Yayi said, eyes on the night sky for a moment, as if she was trying to imagine it.

Innya scoffed. “Most of it was probably made up. People like to fill in the blanks, after all.” No one in the village saw her real work. Her true mastery was in her assassinations. Those were all out of the village.

“I heard about what happened to your parents…” Yayi said.

Innya arched an eyebrow. “You know?”

“Well, my brother, before he managed to get me into the lowest social standings allowed, used to rent me out to warriors. They talked sometimes before they…” she trailed off and wrung her hands together.

Innya’s mouth dropped open. “Your brother did that to you?” She could not believe a sibling would do such a thing. She knew if she had a younger brother or sister, she would die for her sibling, not torture the sibling. There was no way she would ever rent her siblings out. And, how old was Yayi for her brother to be doing that? She barely looked sixteen as it was.

Yayi’s jaw wobbled, like she was struggling not to cry. “That’s why I don’t care that he’s dead. I wanted to be a warrior when I was little. I thought if I could do those things, I could be my own person. I could own myself. I just… well, I can’t fight. I’m not good at fighting because I don’t really want to hurt anybody and my brother always made sure I was weak.”

Bastard sounded like a very clear assessment of this brother. If he was not dead, Innya would hunt him down and dispatch him herself. Instead, she had to work through this whole mess with Yayi.

Innya shook her head and stepped closer. “There’s more to being a warrior than fighting. And you’re not weak, you’re just scared.” And why should she not be? The person who was meant to take care of her sold her out.

“It’s a scary world,” Yayi said in a low tone and she hugged herself for a moment. 

She grew up without the protection of her parents and the person that was supposed to protect her had abused her in one of the worst ways. Betrayed her really, let people hurt her. The thought made Innya scowl. She was sick of the degenerates that lived in their tribe. She could almost understand why most of the world thought Wolves were savages.

“You don’t have to be scared anymore,” Innya said before she realized it. 

Yayi gasped and her eyes were wide. Her mouth hung out for a few seconds. She was not the only one in shock. Innya could not believe what she had just declared. What was she doing? She had no clue.

“Do you mean that?” Yayi asked.

Innya took a deep breath as she realized she meant it. “I’ll protect you, Yayi, until you can take care of yourself. You don’t ever have to be afraid.” Yayi deserved a chance, like her students deserved a chance. They should be able to figure out who they were in life, what they were capable of. They should be able to figure out if they were actually weak, like she was when she tried to fight off her husband on their wedding night, or if they had just been robbed of opportunities due to inequity. 

“Thank you so much, ma’am,” Yayi whispered and tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“No, don’t cry. I can’t deal with crying,” Innya said. She could not and would not tolerate any emotional outbursts just because she went out of her way to do something that she could not even explain.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” Yayi sniffled and wiped her face. “It’s just… nobody ever… nobody ever did anything for me in my life. My brother always wanted me to be afraid, so I would cling to him and I did like the stupid cub I was. And he made me do so many things, and it hurts some much even now…” She hugged herself tight, as if she was the only person who had ever tried to bring her comfort. The world was such an ugly place.

“It’s okay, Yayi. He’s dead and nobody else will hurt you. If anybody tries to harm you or even make you feel bad, you tell me and I’ll destroy them. Okay?” Innya just wanted the girl to stop crying.

“Okay.” Yayi nodded and she wiped her face off as the tears finally stopped. 

Innya could only wonder what made her claim such a pitiful soul. Why had she said that she would protect this girl? She did not know her. Yayi meant nothing to her and yet, here Innya was claiming that she would protect the girl from being hurt anymore. _What the hell am I turning into?_ She needed to do some self-assessing. 

“Yayi, maybe you should get some sleep. You do have to work early in the morning, right?” Innya said to get Yayi out of her sight for a moment, so she could collect her thoughts and figure out where exactly she lost her mind.

“Right, that’s true.” Yayi nodded, but she did not move. “Ma’am, do you ever sleep? I’ve been here for two weeks and you’re always awake when I get up and I’ve never seen you go to bed.” 

“I haven’t slept in three weeks. Maybe I’ll get some sleep next week,” Innya answered, which she would have to do unless she wanted to faint again. She had to remember she was not as young as she used to be.

“Really?” Yayi asked in awe.

“Yes, sleep’s for those who lack imagination on what to do with their time.”

Yayi laughed by accident it would seem. She gulped and slapped her hand over her mouth a second later. The girl put her hands over her mouth and dipped her head to hide from Innya, like that was going to work. 

Innya frowned. She was really tired of the shy little girl act. She needed to get some grit in this girl, even if she had vowed to protect her. Innya forced Yayi to look up and she pulled the girl’s hands from her face. Yayi gulped again.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” Yayi said. “I wasn’t laughing at you—”

“Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you after just saying I’d protect you. You have to stop this, though. No slave of mine is going to be so submissive,” Innya joked.

“Ma’am?” Yayi’s forehead wrinkled. She did not know Innya to joke. She and the rest of the tribe actually. It was very rare, especially since the disappearance of the little transcendent and the death of her parents.

“Look, if you’re going to live on this side of the palace and you’re going to be one of us, you have to stop being so shy. We’re not shy. If we want someone to move, we tell them to move or we move them. If we need something, we open our mouths and make it known. And if we don’t look people straight in the eye when talking to them, they’re not going to care.”

“But, ma’am—” Yayi tried to protest, which was better than her just accepting everything Innya said without really considering it.

“No, no, no. You’re cutting this out right now. I don’t want you to do this shy thing anymore and stop calling me ‘ma’am.’ It’s really annoying. Use my name.”

“I’ll try, ma’am… I mean, Innya.”

Innya rolled her eyes, but Yayi tried. It was hard to break about a decade or more of practiced behavior, though, but Yayi at least managed it in Innya’s presence. _I’ll get her there_. After all, her life’s work now was about getting youngsters to the point of greatness. How hard could it be?

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the King takes notice of Yayi, much to Innya’s annoyance. 


	22. Adoration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

22: Adoration

Innya and Tonotec were on their own for breakfast, as was often the case and they were glad for it. There was hot cereal with berries and honey, eggs, bacon, and sausage. They were pros at these things now. As they were about to start eating, footsteps outside of their little kitchen area caught their attention. The smell of wild flowers screamed Yayi’s presence.

“Yayi,” Innya called the girl.

“Ma’am?” Yayi stepped into view.

“What have I said about that?”

Yayi bowed slightly. “I’m sorry, Innya. It’ll take some getting used to.”

That was probably true. “Can we help you with something?” Innya asked.

Yayi opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, her stomach growled. Loud. Loud enough for her to earn a wide-eyed stare from Tonotec. It occurred to Innya, she had no idea how or where the girl took her meals. Yayi blushed.

“Come, sit.” Innya’s voice let Yayi know it was not a matter to discuss. 

Yayi sat down a little inside of the doorway. Tonotec looked at her as if she was out of her mind and he was not alone in thinking that. Innya waved her closer until she was sitting with them.

“You don’t have to do things like that. If I invite you over, come over. We’re not going to bite,” Innya said.

Yayi nodded. “Yes. I’m just…” She shrugged.

“You don’t have to be. Now, have you eaten this morning?” Innya asked, even though the answer was obvious.

She nodded again. “I sat with the kitchen servants. They eat a little meat before they start their duties.”

“And then you came back here?”

“I realized I never see you and your son take breakfast. I know you assigned me to the kitchen, but I worried you don’t eat in the same manner you don’t sleep. But, I see I was wrong.” She turned to their little meal.

“We make our own,” Tonotec said. “To honor my grandmother.” It was an odd addition, but Innya did not think much of it. 

Yayi stared down at her hands for a long moment, processing the information. “That is a good thing. I’m not sure if my own mother cooked.”

Tonotec tilted his head. “Do you not cook then?”

She shook her head. “I don’t.”

“It’s all right. You can learn. We learned.” Innya pointed to herself and Tonotec.

“From your mother?” Yayi asked.

Innya sighed. “Tonotec learned a little, but it didn’t occur to me to learn until too late.”

“It’s never too late,” Tonotec said, the little fount of wisdom. 

“This is true. You’ll eat breakfast with us. You need to put on some weight and whatever they’re feeding you in the kitchen is taking too long,” Innya said.

“It’s the best I’ve eaten, ever,” Yayi replied.

Tonotec frowned. “The best? You should’ve had my grandmother’s cooking. She was the best.”

Innya felt a light in her chest that she could not explain. She had never felt it before. Hearing Tonotec speak so highly of his grandmother, though, it was wonderful. A thing of beauty. He only got six years with her, but remembered her with such fondness once again.

“Well, eat this and see what you think.” Innya shoved a plate into Yayi’s hand, followed by a small bowl of porridge. 

“Also tea.” Tonotec passed her a steaming cup. “My grandmother used to drink tea often, but not this type.” Again, odd addition, but whatever made things bearable for him. 

Yayi smiled her thanks and they ate in silence. She finished before both of them. She even gulped the tea while it was still steaming. It was probably best to order her to have breakfast with them.

“Would you like more?” Innya asked Yayi.

“Uh… no. I didn’t even know I was so hungry.” Yayi blushed.

“It’s fine. I know what life’s like in the harder parts of the village. If you want more, you ask. You have to start speaking up,” Innya said.

Yayi nodded. “Yes, okay, but I’m fine. I ate before I came here with the servants.”

“All right, but remember, from now on, you take breakfast with us. A little after noon, you can come find us to see if we’re having lunch. An hour into the evening, the same with dinner. Don’t let anyone stop you when you leave the kitchen to do this. You just tell them I told you.”

“Yes, ma’am—I mean, Innya. Yes, Innya.” Yayi nodded so much it was like her head might fall off.

Tonotec snickered and then realized what he was doing before he clammed up. Innya was not sure what was going on with him. Yayi’s presence threw him off balance in a way she had never seen. A pretty face maybe, but she had students who were pretty as well and did not do this to him. Maybe there was just something about Yayi. She would watch for a little while before she made any inquiries. 

Once they were all finished up, dishes were cleaned, which Yayi did with more energy than expected. Then, they all went about their day. Innya had a new bit added to her usual tasks.

Innya observed Yayi as she went about her daily chores in the kitchen. Yayi was still timid more than anything Innya had ever seen. Yayi served dinner along with a few other servants and Innya could barely spot Yayi. Yayi tried her best to be invisible, which was probably the best practice for someone with her background.

But, Innya promised to protect Yayi, so she figured that should have been enough to get Yayi to stand up a little more. It was impossible to change overnight, but it did not seem like Yayi was even trying to assert herself. It was like something was wrong or like Yayi did not believe her. 

Was Yayi’s behavior from the chef doing things he was not supposed to be doing to his former slave? Was Innya already failing at this job she volunteered for? Innya could not watch Yayi all day and it was possible the chef could have been up to something. Innya did not like suspecting the chef was doing something because that would mean Yayi was not telling her about it, which messed with two things. One, it messed with Innya’s plan to kill the chef and two, it made Innya’s promise of protecting Yayi impossible. 

-8-8-8-8-

“The chef has been keeping his hands to himself?” Innya asked Yayi while the girl watched her practicing at night. Tonotec had already gone to bed after losing four battles in a row and accidentally biting his tongue, which upset him more than losing did. Innya suspected he had been rather embarrassed about biting his tongue, especially since they had an audience.

“He hasn’t touched me,” Yayi replied. Her face was filling out, as she took regular meals. Everyday, she ate breakfast with Innya and Tonotec, toiling with them to make simple things. Apparently, no master had ever used her beyond a bed slave, so she could barely boil water. Tonotec liked to show her how to do things. Maybe he saw her as a protege, like Hetanu.

Innya nodded and moved into her next exercise. “Is he doing anything? Is he looking at you in any way that makes you uncomfortable?”

“No, but it’s a little creepy.”

“He’s a creepy guy, but this whole thing is weird. I’ve never seen this man resist temptation so much. He’s got a trick up his sleeve,” Innya said. The chef was not a man of self-control and it had been almost a month. There was no way he could keep from touching Yayi without having some other sinister trick up his sleeve to occupy his time.

“Is he out to kill me or something?” Yayi asked and she fidgeted with her fingers. She sounded a little nervous, but not as much as she would have a couple of weeks ago. She had faith in Innya to protect her. That was good to know.

Innya shook her head. “Who knows what he’s out to do. Don’t worry about it.” She would never let that happen.

“I’m not,” Yayi replied with a small smile. 

Innya could not believe it, but Yayi had some courage. “That’s good.”

Yayi nodded. “You’ve done a good job with me.” She looked at Innya and then looked at the floor. 

“I said I’d take care of you and I will.”

“The servants are wrong about you.”

Innya glanced at her. “I’m sure they’re not. I’ve done things to them that I haven’t done to you.”

“Why?”

That was a good question. But, she supposed it was like with her students, even like with her son. Hell, like the village. “You need help.” She taught her students for them to learn how to take care of themselves and be better people, which would make the village better. She wanted her son to be better, for himself, but also for him to become a good king. If she could help people be better, things would just be better.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” Especially since the behavior still confused Innya to a degree. Yes, she understood she saw some of herself in Yayi. She saw her students in Yayi. She saw so much in Yayi, but that did not explain her taking care of this girl like she was someone close. Innya could not believe she was as old as she was and still did not understand herself completely. _Maybe it’s personal growth_.

“I really do. You’re the only person in a long time to be nice to me. Since I’ve been with you, I haven’t once been hungry or cold or in pain. I haven’t wanted for anything. I’ve been allowed to sleep through the night. I have blankets!” Yayi’s face lit up at that. “And good shoes that kep my feet warm and they fit. I haven’t wished I was dead. You’ve done me a great kindness and I’ll never be able to repay.”

Innya waved the matter off. “I don’t want you to repay it. I just want you to be safe and able to become a person who can be useful to others in a way that helps them grow. Everyone deserves that chance.”

Yayi nodded again, but she blew out a breath. She did not worry about the chef, but now she had to figure out what it meant to be useful. Innya watched out for Yayi much like a big sister would look out for a little sister, she believed anyway. It was the best she could figure it.

Later on, Innya figured she would make for a lousy big sister. She could protect Yayi from the little things like the chef, but not from the big things, like her own emotions. Did other sisters feel that way? (Eventually, she learned, yes, they did.)

-8-8-8-8-

The chef lulled them into a false sense of security, waiting for months to strike. Then, he sought his revenge and since he could not strike at Innya personally, he decided to go after her “property.” The chef pulled a stunt that Innya did not find funny at all and she was tempted to rip him apart for days after it happened. The chef almost succeeded in killing her. For a very brief moment that night, Innya actually expected her heart to explode. 

The servants who carried in dinner had their spaces changed by the chef and Yayi was stuck serving the King dinner. The chef knew the King was a man with strange mood swings, an unruly temper, and believed that meat was meant to be eaten raw, so he sent Yayi out to serve the King with a plate that contained a cooked turkey on it. The sneaky bastard.

The King growled as soon as he saw the meal. He jumped out of his seat, throwing it behind him. The wood shattering echoed through the room as he raised his giant hand to strike Yayi. With his power, he would kill her before either of them realized it. Innya figured Yayi would not even have time to gasp if the King hit her. Innya’s body was ready to rescue Yayi without a thought until she noticed her husband paused. His eyes sparkled with awe and she almost wished he had hit Yayi. That was better than the infatuation she could feel radiating off of him.

“Who are you?” the King demanded and Yayi whimpered as he leaned in closer. He growled when she did not answer. “Who are you, girl?” His voice was even deeper on the second ask.

“Innya’s slave,” Yayi answered very quickly and in a very low tone. Innya suspected Yayi felt that was the safest answer to give, which it probably was.

“Innya’s what?” the King asked with a hearty laugh as other servants hustled a chair behind him for when he wanted to sit.

“Is it so funny that I have a slave?” Innya inquired, standing barely a foot away. He did not know her stance on slavery, after all. She could have a slave.

“It is highly amusing. Do you not hear me laughing because of it? What’re you doing with a slave?” he asked.

“What do you care?” she countered, folding her arms across her chest.

“Come.” He waved her away and Innya knew it was not for something she wanted to hear.

Innya shrugged. “Watch Yayi,” she told Tonotec, who nodded, and then followed her husband outside. They went out into the hallway and down the hall far away from any gossiping ears. Innya leaned against the wall while her husband stared at her from across the hall. She did not even wait to hear what he had to say because she knew what he was going to say.

“You stay away from her,” Innya said, pointing at him. He would not do that little girl any good. He had never done anyone that she could think of any good.

“What if she comes to me?” the King inquired with a smirk.

She glared at him. “She’s my slave and I could just order her to stay away from you.” Which was sort of true. Yayi obeyed her, but not so much because she was a slave at this point, but because Innya was the authority in her life. Yayi could do what she wanted, though. The King would stalk Yayi regardless.

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “Come now, I’m sure that neither of you actually believe she’s your slave. You couldn’t have a slave. You can barely say the word. It’s not in your nature to have a slave. You wouldn’t even know what to do with a slave. You probably obtained her and just lost the paperwork to free her. So, what’s her name?”

Wow, he was actually right about those things. _He knows me better than I could ever imagine_. But, that did not matter. “Stay away from her. You’ve ruined seven bitches by my count. I won’t let you ruin her.”

“Seven?” The King rubbed his chin. “I only have six wives.” Well, at least he knew what bitches she meant.

“The little bitch that I had to put down,” she reminded him why the count was at seven. It was nice to see how much he cared.

“Oh, yes. I had forgotten all about that one,” he said. The girl that Innya had killed four years ago meant so much to him that he had already forgotten her. Females were wasted on the King. He did not know how to cherish or treat anything.

“Since you forgot about her, you forget about this one too.” Innya pointed at him once again and stared him down. “She’s my slave, my property, whether you think I can have one or not. You leave her be or else.”

He glanced back in the direction of the dining room. “You can’t own anyone.”

“I own…” She growled. “I own her.” The words hurt and tasted like ashes, but they needed to be said. She had to save Yayi from him.

He chuckled. “Yes, okay. You own her.”

Innya was talking to the equivalent of a wall at the moment. She could see her husband was actually anxious to have Yayi. She had never seen him anxious for a female, except for when he stalked her. Other than that he did not hunt females. Bitches just fell into his lap and he was not one to complain. 

-8-8-8-8-

“Father has taken to watching Yayi, Mother,” Tonotec said as they made their way to their kitchen to make breakfast.

“I am aware,” Innya replied. The King hunted Yayi, though. He watched her more closely than Innya did, tried to pull her away from her duties. Yayi giggled over the attention, but never left her station unless Innya told her. Whenever the King tried to use his status to lure her away, Yayi kindly reminded him that she belonged to Innya and she would not disappoint Innya by wandering off, even with him.

“Shouldn’t you do something?”

“She hasn’t requested it.”

“Did you request it?” 

“I didn’t need it.” It felt like a lie, but also it did not. She made it through it all. No, it had not gone the way she would have wanted, but still she made it through.

Tonotec scowled, but his face changed as Yayi joined them. She smiled at both of them. As with each day that passed, she was brighter and fuller. It was clear she was not as young as Innya first assumed when she arrived months ago. But, Yayi was not that old either, barely sixteen.

“You have flowers in your hair,” Tonotec said.

Yayi nodded. “The King came to see me and gave them to me.”

“So, he gives you gifts now?” Tonotec asked.

“Just this one time. He was very nice about it. He said I always smell like wild flowers, so I should have wild flowers.” Yayi giggled.

Tonotec grunted. “He has a collection.”

Yayi pursed her lips. “A collection?”

“Of women,” Tonotec said. It was a little sad that Tonotec had noticed it in this manner.

Yayi looked a bit blank, like she had not noticed. “He has wives, yeah.”

Tonotec looked like he expected her to continue. It would be a sad day should he ever figure out how poorly Yayi pieced information together. And, that gave her an idea to try to keep the King away from Yayi.

“Yayi, do you know how to read?” Innya asked.

Yayi went still and blushed. Tonotec’s eyes went wide and Yayi looked away. _Oh, I think I’ve embarrassed her_. It was nothing to be ashamed of. Most of the Wolf tribe could not read.

“I have a student who I need to learn some patience and I think letting him tutor someone would help,” Innya said. She needed to get Yayi around some people her own age. The thing with Tonotec, she was starting to realize came from the fact that Yayi was about as mature as he was, maybe less, thanks to years of neglect and abuse. Tonotec seemed to sense that and was probably why he built with her like she was a less sophisticated peer.

Yayi’s fingers fidgeted against each other. “Um… I think… I might… wanna read?” She gave a sort of painful smile.

“You don’t have to do it as a favor to me,” Innya said.

Yayi shook her head. “No, no, no. I wanna read. I’ve seen Tonotec reading books with his tutor and I’d like to be able to.”

Innya glanced at Tonotec and he shrugged. “She asks me about lunch when we run late. You’re always in the middle of lessons.”

That made sense. She was probably very intimidating when running late with her students, as that meant lots of things were going wrong and she was upset. She turned to Yayi.

“Then, it’s settled. You’ll learn after lunch,” Innya said.

Yayi nodded and they got to making their breakfast. With luck, Yayi being around a polite, respectful young warrior would let her see what the King lacked and it also help her see what it was like to be around other teenagers. Plus, she could get a basic education. Seemed like a win. She glanced at Tonotec, who nodded. She hoped he was not smug about being right.

It seemed to work for a while. Yayi got to be around people her age, but she did not seem to know how to interact with them. If more than one engaged her at a time, she went quiet, even after spending time with Atal, her tutor. He got frustrated with her sometimes, so he did not help, but she did a lot to build patience in him. For all of her aggravating him in trying to learn to read, he knew better than to do anything to harm her, or else.

Beyond that, the King did not give up his quest for Yayi. He stalked her, baited her with kind words, and somehow set her at ease. Innya did not know how to intervene without just jumping in and she worried Yayi might doubt her words considering the way the King behaved with her. She tried to catch the King’s attention to keep him from ruining Yayi, but he seemed to only have eyes for Yayi and Yayi seemed to love his company. 

Tonotec eyed Innya like it was her fault, like she was supposed to stop it from happening. How could she stop it from happening? No matter what she said to the King, he would not listen. He would pursue Yayi with his usual single-minded determination of getting what he wanted. Yayi was happy for attention that did not make her feel weird. 

Innya watched the pair when they were together and Innya could see that the King was at least infatuated with Yayi. Yayi was probably overjoyed that someone with high status paid her some mind without pain being involved. 

It took a while, but the King convinced Yayi to spend time with him and him alone. He and Yayi went on a lot of walks together, on palace grounds and off. He showed her how life was on the hill. Yayi looked at him as if he hung the moon and he probably loved that. If only Yayi had a better experience with the world, she would know he was not the grand person she thought he was. It had taken almost a year, but Innya failed.

-8-8-8-8-

“Innya, please, forgive me. I beg of you to forgive me,” Yayi said as she fell to her knees in the grass of the garden while Innya trained at night.

“For?” Innya asked with an arched eyebrow. Yayi seemed to think that she had done something terrible, but Innya did not know what that something was.

Yayi swallowed and stared at her with wide, worried eyes. “I think… well, I think I adore your husband.”

Innya scoffed. “You and five other bitches.” Why? Innya would never understand.

“They hate me,” Yayi said, referring to the King’s other wives and they did. It was not a lie.

“You have to look at it mathematically. There are already five of them and they all want his time and you’ve managed to monopolize his time,” Innya pointed out. It seemed like her husband spent every waking moment with Yayi now. He had only been like that with Ashti as far as Innya knew. 

Yayi nodded. “It’s just… he’s not a bad man.”

Innya could not help laughing. “Oh, if only you knew, child. You just think that anybody that’s nice to you is a good person.” That was not entirely true. “You even think I’m good.”

“You are,” Yayi insisted, holding up two fists. “That’s why I feel so bad about this. He’s your husband—”

Innya waved that nonsense off. “He’s my husband just like I’m your mistress. We say these things, but they’re not really true. You shouldn’t fall for him, though.”

Yayi pouted and her eyes watered. “Am I wrong for adoring him?”

Innya sighed and rubbed her forehead. “My mother used to tell me the heart can’t be wrong. I think she was wrong. But, maybe she wasn’t. If it makes you happy to adore him and be with him, then do so. It would be wrong of me to stop you.” She did not want to hurt Yayi and, honestly, she and Tonotec could probably piece Yayi’s heart back together after the King had his fun. It was not like she would go the way of Kalycha.

“All right, but I was thinking about how he’s the King. What if I was to stop adoring him, not that I think I ever will, but what would happen? Would he be angry? Would he try to kill me?” Yayi asked, eyes still wide with new horror.

“Why would you adore someone you think might kill you?”

Yayi gnawed the corner of her mouth for a moment. “I don’t think it really. I just know he’s capable. He’s so strong and I don’t want to displease him. If I stopped adoring him, it would displease him.”

That was true. “I won’t let him hurt you. You know that,” Innya replied.

Yayi nodded. “How would you stop him, though? He’s the King.”

Innya curled her lip, angry for the doubt. “I know who he is. I’m stuck married to him, after all. He’s not as tough as he would lead you all to believe, to me anyway. I’d prefer you not bother with him, though. Yayi, the man has six wives.”

“I know, but I—”

“I know.” Innya sighed as a headache throbbed right behind her eyes. “You adore him. I know that it’s a hard thing to fight.” While she had not craved, she had adored. “If he hurts you, you tell me.”

“Yes, I will.” Yayi smiled and her eyes sparkled. Time with Innya and Tonotec had been good for her, but time in the palace had not. It was never good to attract the King’s attention, no matter what her five counterparts would argue. 

Innya hated the heart. It was such as stupid organ and it made people do stupid things. It made Yayi love a man who could not possibly love her back. He had six wives and Yayi knew that was a clue as to what type of man he was, but she continued to love him. It was so easy to be in love, but it was hard as hell to get out of it. Innya wished Yayi tried to get out of love anyway, no matter how hard it was.

-8-8-8-8-

“You didn’t save her, Mother,” Tonotec said as Yayi left their lunch to go sit with the King.

“I can’t save her from her own heart. Love is irrational,” Innya replied.

“He’ll hurt her.”

Innya nodded. “But, we’ll be there to help heal her.”

“What if there’s nothing to heal?”

“I won’t let that happen.”

Tonotec grunted, but there was a skepticism in his amber eyes. Innya did not like it. She would not let the King take Yayi from them.

Innya watched her husband and Yayi, even though she had ordered Yayi to tell her if the King hurt her. It was not that Innya did not trust Yayi. She just did not trust the damn King. She also did not trust her husband’s other wives. They were all very jealous of Yayi getting all of the King’s attention. Even Ashti detested the girl, mostly because Yayi was getting time that Ashti used to get. 

The tension rose ten-fold when the King began to take Yayi to bed. After a while, she was the only female he would take to bed. It had taken him a while to even sleep with Yayi. It was like he respected Yayi. It was almost like he cared about the girl. _But, if he really cared, he’d leave her alone and let her live her life_. What good would it do her to be wife number seven?

Innya could not bring herself to believe that the King cared too much about Yayi because if he did care he would have left her alone, as he knew that was best for her. He had little to offer her even as king of the tribe. She could be his seventh wife and being the King’s wife was not so glorious. In fact, the further one was down the line, the more disgraceful the position became. The only reason the King married females anymore was because he had gotten them pregnant. 

Innya did not want Yayi to fall victim to marrying the King because of pregnancy. If that happened, Innya would make sure Yayi did not marry him. He would only cast her aside and move onto the next “project.” Yayi would be heartbroken if the King dropped her for another female while she was carrying his cub. Of course, Innya thought no matter what, the whole affair would lead to heartbreak for Yayi. 

Although, Innya could not figure out why any of the King’s wives got outraged when he brought in another bitch. It was like they were surprised or something. At one point every wife except Innya had been the “other female.” Why were they so surprised when he found another female? Where was the surprise?

-8-8-8-8-

As time passed by, Innya tracked the couple less and less. Beyond having other things to do, it was an invasion of their privacy. Her husband was gentle with Yayi. It was like she calmed him down. She might have made him sane for a while. He actually seemed at peace when he was with her most of the time.

Yayi was always elated with being with the King. She was genuinely in love, like Ashti, and just as delusional in Innya’s opinion. The King never ceased to amaze Yayi and she loved talking about being in love with him, even though she knew Innya did not want to hear about it. Yayi did not have anyone else she could share the information with and Innya knew that, so she did not mind it. Tonotec showed his feelings on the matter by always walking away whenever Yayi started up about the King. That was not enough to stop Yayi.

Innya could see that Yayi was in deep while the King… well, Innya suspected if she ever actually knew what the King was thinking or felt about anything, she would kill herself. It would just be way too much information for her. Innya pitied Yayi more than ever before for being in love with the King because it was not something he could return. He could like a female well enough, he liked Ashti while she loved him, but he could not love, but he seemed to come really close when it came to Yayi.

Innya could not figure out why the King looked at Yayi as he did or he touched her as he did. What did he see when he looked at Yayi? What did he feel when he touched her? What made him treat her as if she was the only female he would ever want or need for the rest of his life? 

Yayi was not a toy to him like Ashti was. She was not a pet to him as Innya saw herself as. Innya might have actually yielded and called it love, but he was not doing the right thing for Yayi and she thought love meant doing the right thing for the other person. Love was selfless, but if the King was in love, it was selfish and to Innya that could not be love.

Just as Innya was about to relax and have faith in her husband to do the best he could with Yayi, the tension in the palace pretty much shot through the roof and put Innya back on guard. Yayi found out she was pregnant and Innya made a mental note that nothing was ever as bad as it could be. She had thought the situation in the palace was as bad as it could get, but then Yayi was suddenly carrying a cub and things got exponentially worse. 

Yayi was both happy and scared, which was usually the case for first time mothers. She was not worried about someone trying to harm her or the cub. After all, she was carrying the King’s cub and Innya had promised to protect her. Yayi was nervous about having a cub, but she was glad Innya was around. Innya would help raise the cub. Boy, Yayi did not know how right she was at the time and Innya wished it was not so.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Yayi has her cub and things will never be the same.


	23. Ending for a Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

23: Ending for a Beginning

Innya’s five counterparts were vexed beyond anything Innya had ever seen before thanks to Yayi’s pregnancy. They began having meetings to discuss and plot what they were going to do about Yayi since she was obviously in the palace to stay now. Innya attended the meetings to make sure they did not try to harm Yayi and also for the entertainment value. It was seriously too amusing to her to see five grown females angry that their one husband was with another female. It was beyond belief to her.

“You know, if he marries her then she might step aside and we can get our time back,” Aliyana offered from her armchair. They had the meetings in an office space, as if to give it an official feel, which only made it more ridiculous.

“I say, we all go up to him and demand he spend more time with us,” Resalin suggested, reclining on a sofa. Yeah, that was a sure fire way to piss him off. The only one out of them who had the guts would be Ashti and she would not demand it as much as whine about it.

“Maybe you should just stop whining,” Innya said. She was supposed to just watch, but after seeing the same scene a few times prior to the one now, she was just sick of watching. She wanted to bother them because this was beyond ridiculous. How dare they act so upset with Yayi when they had all been in her shoes once upon a time? Of course, the King had not been interested in any of them in the way he was with Yayi. Adding insult to injury, Yayi was the lowest status the village had to offer and they were all nobles.

“Innya, she’s your slave. You have to keep her away from our husband,” Ashti urged her. 

It was funny how Ashti worked. Innya could almost admire her. Ashti still looked at Innya as a friend, despite what was going on and how close Innya was to the “enemy.” Ashti focused on just one person to hate, the one person she blamed, rather than blaming a bunch of other people. It was rather deep, but then here Ashti was complaining about a man she shared with five other females and that shot down any chance Innya had at admiring her.

“And who has to keep our husband away from my slave?” Innya countered. She would love for one of them to step up and enamore the damn King again, but it was not happening. He only had eyes for Yayi. She waved the whole matter away. “Just give it up, ladies. This is a dead issue here.”

“No! This is demeaning. A dirty little slave girl with our great husband,” the King’s fifth wife… Innya believed her name was Talayaga, but she was not too sure. After Resalin, Innya did not bother with the names of her husband’s other mates and really after Ashti, Innya did not actively associate with her husband’s other wives, unless it would prove entertaining like now. 

“Can we watch what we say about my slave?” Innya said. She was a little overprotective of Yayi now that the girl carried a cub. She had nearly killed a servant for bringing Yayi some tea that was too hot, but Yayi had stopped her. Innya wondered sometimes if she went too far, but she just felt very responsible for Yayi. The girl depended on her, after all.

“She’s just a slave,” Resalin pointed out.

“But, she’s my slave. You upper class bitches must be really bitter about this one, though. A slave getting more time, attention, and hell, affection than you? Unheard of, almost like five adult bitches being upset that their shared husband has a mistress when they all used to be one themselves. Unbelievable, what is the world coming to?” Innya laughed at her own words. These ladies were too funny without even trying. She doubted they would ever know how much they amused her.

“If you’re not going to take this seriously, leave, Innya,” Aliyana said and the others agreed.

“You all look so ridiculous. You knew I wasn’t going to take this seriously the second I came in here. I mean, if I cared about who the man took to bed, I would’ve killed at least half of you a long time ago,” Innya pointed out as she exited the room.

Innya could not help being amused by her five counterparts. She could not understand them. They had meetings on top of meetings trying to figure out how they were going to get their husband back. There was nothing they could do about Yayi, no matter how much they wanted to discuss the matter. The King walked around with the pregnant girl as if she was the only person he ever needed to spend him with. Yayi was always with him, unless she was with Innya. 

-8-8-8-8-

“Do you think that he loves me?” Yayi asked Innya. She made the inquiry often, even though she knew what Innya thought. Once again, she watched Innya practice at night while sitting against a wall. Her pregnancy showed a little. She even had Tonotec talk to the baby once, which clearly embarrassed him to do, but he did it because Yayi asked him to. Something about the girl made them all so soft. It was like they wanted to shield her from the ugliness of the world, as she had witnessed far too much of it too young.

“You know I don’t,” Innya answered. Yayi fed some kind of craving in the King, but he was not capable of love. He was broken. Yayi had not fixed him.

A pout settled on Yayi’s face, but did not take away the glow her pregnancy had given her early on. “Why do you always say that?”

“If he loved you, he’d leave you alone because it would be the best thing for _you_. He doesn’t have anything to offer you. What has he given you in the years that you’ve been here?” Innya asked. Yayi had been there almost three years, and she was still a teenager, still just a little girl, still needing Innya to protect her for the most part, which Innya did as best she could. Sometimes she went overboard, but Yayi told her if she was being overprotective. 

“He gives me so much of his time. What more can I ask for? I mean, I used to be a slave,” Yayi answered.

Innya rolled her eyes. “You still are.” Technically. Innya had no idea how to free a slave. Apparently, there was paperwork that went with it, like when she had to have the King declare she belonged to herself. But, the paperwork for Yayi was lost between masters many years ago. So, they could say she was free and not a slave all they wanted, but legally, she was a slave. More evidence the King did not truly care for Yayi, as he had yet to just decree that she was her own.

“Before you, I felt like a slave. I felt so worthless. He makes me feel like I have worth, like you, but in a different way of course. I just want him to feel something for me like I feel for him. I mean, I utterly adore this man. I couldn’t be happier to be carrying his cub, especially since you don’t mind. He’s just so amazing.”

Innya fought down the urge to throw up. “You’re a little cub in awe. What did he do to have you so fully in love with him and always calling him amazing? Did he raise the dead while I wasn’t looking?” She just cannot understand why females loved the King. Maybe it was because he had gone about things in the wrong way when he came for her and had he done things differently she might have at least liked him. She would never have been able to love the King, though.

There were hearts in Yayi’s eyes, which happened too often. “I just love him so much, Innya. He makes me feel so special.”

“But, I don’t understand why. He has six wives, Yayi. You have the world before you and you settled for the first thing that liked you and he has six wives.” 

Yayi whimpered a bit. It was not so much a scared sound. It was how she expressed disappointment when Innya questioned her emotions for the King. Innya sighed and stepped over to Yayi. They were almost on the same level with Yayi sitting down. She ran her fingers through Yayi’s hair and the girl purred. She delighted in these little affections, innocent touches. The King somehow offered it by the ton.

“No man has ever been so sweet to me, except Tonotec and he’s too young for me.” Yayi laughed.

Innya smiled a bit. There was a brief moment when she thought Tonotec would fight the King for Yayi. Some thought Tonotec had a crush on her. Yayi never seemed to think that. It was possible she was too immature for the thought to cross her mind, which was good in that instance. 

Innya believed Tonotec looked at Yayi more the way Innya did than anything else. He wanted to protect her. He did not have a complete grasp of how bad Yayi’s life was, but he understood it enough. He wanted things to be better for her.

“The King doesn’t make me wish I could disappear,” Yayi said.

Innya sighed as she stepped away and went back to her exercises. “I know that and I know it’s much too late for me to say anything to you. Just don’t get too hung up in this.” She gave that warning every couple of months, just to help prepare Yayi for the inevitable letdown. 

“You’ve told me.”

And Innya could continue to tell her until Yayi heard her. “The King has had so many mistresses before you. Hell, before me. I’m sure he’s never acted with them as he acts with you, but he’s such a fickle man. You’re special to him. I won’t deny that, but who knows how long that’ll last. He didn’t think about you enough to do what’s right for you. He’s too selfish to ever do the right thing.” He was supposed to let Yayi go, that was best for her, but he could not.

Yayi pouted again. “Do you believe that?” 

Innya hated being the one to always tell her the truth. Yayi took it, but it made her so sorrowful. Innya disliked hurting a person she vowed to protect. It seemed like a contradiction to her, but she could not lie to Yayi. Lying would be more harmful than telling the truth. 

“He destroys everything he touches, Yayi. You’re so young and he’s, at the most, infatuated. Crushes pass, especially with him. I’m just trying to look out for you,” Innya said.

“Why? You’re not my mother.” Yayi folded her arms across her chest and glared at the sky. She was allowed to be upset, especially since she held it in most of the time. The truth hurt almost always, no matter how many times it was said.

“I know. I only have one cub to look out for, but you act like a cub a good deal of the time. Yayi, you know I’m just trying to protect you.”

“I know.” She blew out a long breath, shoulders dropping. “But, you always say such hurtful things. I love this man and you always bad mouth him. Didn’t you ever love him?”

“I loved him like a person loves a venomous snake bite. He never had anything to offer me either, but unlike you and everybody else, I didn’t get the chance to even like him enough to want to know him. Yayi, he’s not a good man. I don’t care how much you love him, you have to see that.” While the King behaved a certain way with Yayi, he had not changed any other behavior.

Yayi glanced away. “I know what you mean. I know he hurt you, Innya. I know some of the things he did to you. There are always whispers and gossip. Hell, even warnings.”

Innya groaned. “I’m a cautionary tale around here. Just perfect.”

Yayi offered her a smile for her troubles. “It’s well meaning. I know what he’s doing to the village. I used to be out there and because of the lack of order, I used to catch it in a bad way. I’m technically still a slave because he won’t change the law, but I just… I just love him so much. He always makes sure I’m all right now and he offers me whatever I need.”

“I know. I don’t blame you,” Innya said.

Innya did not blame Yayi for the problem at hand. She blamed herself. She should have thrown Yayi out the second she found out who the girl was and what she was doing in the palace. Instead, Innya half-tried to use the girl and half-tried to help her. Both halves equaled one really big failure. She wanted to protect the girl she pitied, but instead she let her fall right into the hands of evil. Really, how did things always manage to get worse when her little universe was looking less miserable than usual?

-8-8-8-8-

“Mother?” Tonotec said as he and Innya said on the roof, just stargazing. He was now thirteen and towering over her. She looked like she was the cub compared to him.

“Yes?” Innya replied.

“Why does Father love Yayi more than you?” he asked. 

“Tonotec, you’ve known your father for many years now. Do you think he’s capable of loving anyone?” she countered, even though she was a little curious to see if her observant little cub had come to a different conclusion than she had.

“No, I don’t suppose he is. It seems to be beyond his understanding, I think. Yayi loves him, though. Does that make her a fool?” he asked without sounding insulting. 

He liked Yayi, as much as Tonotec could like a person. She was the only person he talked to besides his mother on a daily basis. Ever since he found out she was pregnant, he tried to take care of her, so the cub would be safe. One of his more annoying qualities was monitoring what she could and could not eat thanks to being pregnant. He did things for her, so she would not always be on her feet. It was odd for Innya to see her son caring, even though with the indifferent expression that was always on his face, no one would ever think that he cared about anything by looking at him. 

“She’s not a fool. The heart’s a foolish organ and it makes foolish decisions. It is hard to get under control,” Innya told her boy. Add sex to the mix and the brain rarely stood a chance from what she understood. She had still had no desire for it.

“Have you ever been in love, Mother?”

Innya snorted at the question. Had she ever been in love? What kind of question was that? Did she seem like the type of idiot to fall in love? Besides, what man in his right mind would love a ruthless killer? What man would ever love her?

“There’s always talk that you’ve been in love with Yayi,” Innya replied.

Tonotec scoffed. “She would be helpless without me.”

Innya held in a laugh. That was an interesting take on things. Watching Tonotec with the people he cared for made her wonder if she looked the same. It was a strange mix of “I don’t want to touch this person” and “I need to keep this idiot from dying.”

“Mother, do you suppose this new cub will be my brother?” Tonotec asked since Innya did not answer his other question. He said brother because all the King had were sons. The man had eleven sons. It was against all odds. But, of course a man with no interest in being a father or teaching someone how to be a man would have that many sons.

“He doesn’t have much of a choice. Yayi wouldn’t have it any other way,” Innya answered. 

Yayi was already getting Tonotec prepared to have another little brother, as they all assumed she was carrying a boy. She kept telling Innya that she would be like the cub’s aunt. Innya did not have the strength to argue. Yayi was always so enthusiastic when it came to her unborn child. Innya was not sure, but she believed her son looked forward to his new brother. That was how much he liked Yayi. She doubted he ever wondered what he was going to do with his new brother from Yayi.

“That’s true. What about the others, though?” Tonotec inquired.

“What about the others? Their mothers have decided for them and it doesn’t make any sense for you to bother with them. If you did like your brothers did, you wouldn’t have any brothers,” Innya replied.

“And I’d probably be a lot happier,” he remarked. “What do they have against Yayi, though? Is she not one of them?” He referred to his father’s line of lovers. Innya hoped Yayi was not “one of them,” even though she thought in a way that the girl was. Hell, in a way, she even thought that she was “one of them.”

“Obviously not from the way they treat her,” Innya commented.

He nodded. “She should be pleased then.”

He was right. If there was ever a demeaning station in life, it was being one of the King’s wives. To Innya, being the King’s wife was practically being his personal, on-demand whore. She even felt like that in a way and he had not touched her in years. Her life was her own personal Hell, mostly because of her role in it as the degraded wife.

Innya and Tonotec were the only members of the royal household who did not resent Yayi, mostly because she was practically one of them. All of the princes had been told to dislike Yayi by their mothers and they were expected to treat Yayi like a slave, which they did not do. If they did, either Innya or the King would have gotten on their cases about it. Innya was not about to let anyone treat someone under her protection any way that they pleased.

Ashti had finally come to the point where she figured since Innya was not with them, then she was against them. Hetanu was banned from associating with Tonotec. The high prince was very easy going about his little brother being forbidden to go near him. Tonotec could not care less about Hetanu because if he could not work on his little brother then he could go to the Pit and get a proper workout.

Tonotec also did not care about his brothers because, as much as he tried not to show it, he was happy Yayi was having a cub and she would bring him another brother. He once said Yayi would bring him “a better little brother than those weaklings combined.” Innya did not think such a thing was very hard considering how idiotic his other brothers were.

“I would have liked for Grandmother to meet this brother,” Tonotec said. He had been without grandparents for seven years now, longer than he had them, but still recalled them fondly at the strangest times.

“I’m sure she would’ve loved this cub as her own,” Innya replied.

“We’ll have to teach him the ways. How to take his tea and how to cook. Grandfather would be very upset if we also didn’t show him how to play chess. I tried with Yayi, but she’s not very good. Do you think that means her cub won’t be very good?”

“No, you have to remember, Yayi didn’t know how to play until I taught her. It takes time and practice to build skill. We teach the cub as soon as possible, like your grandfather did with you and me,” she replied.

Tonotec nodded. “Good. I will teach him everything I know about chess. Together, he and I will defeat you one day.”

Innya held in a chuckle. “I’m sure you will. Two heads are better than one.”

“The cub will be better than Hetanu. I tried to teach him and he’s terrible, too. He doesn’t think about his moves.”

“You expected otherwise?” Her poor cub was delusional when it came to his nearest brother.

Tonotec waved that off. “The cub will be better. He’ll be the best brother. And he can help us make sure Yayi’s okay.” _This is my father’s fault, possibly. Tonotec thinks it’s on him to take care of the females in his life_.

“Well, I think first we’ll have to make sure he’s okay. You have to remember, he’ll be a baby for a while.”

Tonotec pursed his lips. “Yes, he would, but eventually, he’ll be big. We have to prepare him.”

“We will.” Innya meant that. They were family.

-8-8-8-8-

On the day that Yayi went into labor, she had been with the King and he had carried her to her room. Innya and Tonotec tried to make it look like they were taking their time to find a midwife, like they had better things to do with their time or like they were not worried. Yet, the mother and son had brought back more than enough females to deliver the cub. Fine, so they cared and they were concerned. But, no one was going to say that out loud, not even them, and no one was going to hold it against them, not publicly anyway. 

“Should we stay?” Innya asked Yayi.

Yayi shook her head. “Tonotec isn’t gonna wanna see this.”

“True enough.” Innya tapped Tonotec on the shoulder. They turned to leave, but paused at the King. She looked him dead in his eyes, needing him to see how serious she was. “Take care of her.”

“Stay by her side,” Tonotec said.

The King grunted. “Go wait with everyone else.”

Usually, Innya would make it a point to go do what she wanted to do and take Tonotec with her. But, it happened what she wanted to do was exactly what she had been ordered to do. To be smug and annoying, Innya and Tonotec went to the main garden and waited with the King’s other wives and cubs. Their presence alone caused the tension to rise. It got boring fast, though.

“Mother, I could use a new sword,” Tonotec said as he absently stroked his blade with his thumb. He was more than likely fed up with sitting there as they had already been waiting a couple of hours. He had no clue how long it could take to have a cub.

Innya waved him off. “By all means, you’re wise enough to know what type of weapon you would like. Go instruct the sword smith to fashion you a new one. He told you to be careful with that one.” Tonotec used his sword enough that there was no way to “be careful with” it.

“I know. I’ll be back.” Tonotec strolled away.

“How can you be so damn calm?” Aliyana asked Innya.

Innya arched an eyebrow. “What’s there to be nervous about? With luck, he’ll start divorcing some of us before his collection resembles a brothel in numbers. I’m hoping he goes first to last.” She smirked, even though it was an awesome idea. She loved to mess with them, but it would be nice if he started letting some of them go.

“What? He wouldn’t!” Ashti was close to tears, curling up in her chair as if to protect herself. Innya might have felt bad for her if she was not being as stupid as she typically was.

“Don’t say things to frighten my mother,” Hetanu warned Innya, stepping in front of his mother. He glared at Innya. 

Now, as much as Innya would have liked to say he was nothing more than a loudmouth little mama’s boy, she could not. Every Wolf cub on the planet, excluding any horribly insane ones, stuck up for their mother when they thought that they were old enough to do such a thing. She was glad to see he had a backbone and grit. Too bad he did not have enough intelligence to fill a thimble. 

“Don’t be stupid, boy.” Innya plucked Hetanu in his big head and began to walk away while laughing at him.

“Hey, why are you running away?” Hetanu asked as if he really wanted to challenge her. He learned better as he got older, but remained a loudmouthed idiot. 

“Oh, you want me to come back to you? All right.” Innya smirked and obliged the little dimwit by returning to the group. 

Hetanu gulped. Obviously, he had not planned any further than her turning around. Innya thought it was one of the funniest things in the world to bother Hetanu. He did not know whether he wanted to be stupid and brave or a loudmouth coward. 

“I’m—I’m—I’m not ‘fraid of you!” the boy declared in a shaky voice.

“Oh, no?” Innya drew her sword and Hetanu screeched, running behind his mother. If Hetanu just decided to be stupid and brave, she could probably like him, despite the stupid part because that would always be with him. He could do something impressive one day if he was stupid and brave. Being a loudmouth coward meant he would always just be disappointing and annoying.

“Innya!” Ashti dared to scold her for scaring her son.

“It’s not my fault you raised a little spoiled coward,” Innya replied as she sheathed her sword on her hip.

“I’m not a coward!” Hetanu proclaimed.

“So says the little coward hiding behind his mother. Look, I’ll make this really simple for all of us. Just don’t talk to me,” Innya instructed the whole group. She drew a line in the dirt with her foot. “You stay on your side of the line and I stay on mine. It’s just like the palace, meaning if any infractions occur, all the same penalties stand.” She smirked like a demon. She hoped someone tried to cross the line. No one ever tried to come over to her side of the palace and she wanted to punish someone once.

The group wisely stayed on their side of the line. They chatted about nonsense that gave Innya a headache. They were trying to figure out who the King would visit first since Yayi would be laid up for a while after giving birth to her cub. It was pathetic and ongoing.

Innya said nothing. She waited for either her cub to return, though she suspected he went to the Pit though and probably would not be back until nightfall, or for Yayi to have the cub. The latter took place before the former, but there was one problem. One of the seven midwives that Innya and Tonotec had gathered to deliver the baby delivered horrible news as well.

“The cub was born. A girl. She’s a very healthy cub, but the mother has died,” the female announced. 

Innya let out a small gasp. Yayi was dead? No, she must have heard wrong. It did not make any sense for Yayi to have died. 

“What did you just say?” Innya asked with a snarl that did not bother the female, even though she knew who Innya was. Innya had gathered females she knew and trusted to bring the cub into the world, meaning they knew how she acted and how to deal with her.

“The cub is a girl and healthy. Her mother didn’t survive, though. There were some complications. So much blood loss. The cub will need a mother.”

Innya growled. It just could not be true! Yayi was not dead. Innya had just spoken to her before she went to wait with all of the others. Yayi was healthy and strong. She had been so happy that she was having the cub of the man that she loved. She could not be dead. It was not fair!

Innya pushed by the female rather rudely, almost knocking her over. The others followed slowly as Innya shot into the room. Her ears drowned out the sounds of the newborn cub wailing and she approached the bed. She ignored her husband and his slightly sorrowful expression. He stood by the bed on the opposite side of Innya. Innya looked down at Yayi’s still form.

Innya had created enough cadavers in her life to know one when she saw one, yet she checked Yayi for a pulse anyway. There was nothing there. It was not right. It was not fair. Yayi was just a little girl. When Innya had been her age, she was not even a full-fledged Moon Thief yet. She had still had a curfew when she was Yayi’s age. It was not fair.

This was one death out of all the deaths that Innya had ever had a hand in that she put on her soul. Had she just kept the girl away from the King, things would not be as they were. She was supposed to protect Yayi, like a big sister. She had failed. She had failed more miserably at being a big sister than she had at anything in her life. She took half of the blame for Yayi’s death and with that came the burden of responsibility. She would try to redeem herself for the girl.

“Where’s the cub?” Innya asked as she looked around the room. She sounded as cold as always.

“Right here,” a female replied as she held up the tiny screaming bundle. “She’ll need a mother.”

There was silence around the room aside from the cub crying. Innya looked at the King’s other wives. She knew one of them was nursing, as the King had taken to at least sleeping with them again after Yayi got pregnant, and none of them volunteered to care for the baby. They were such worthless bitches, all of them. Innya growled in pure fury. They allowed hatred and jealousy of a poor dead girl to keep them from being half decent wolves.

Innya went over to the female with the cub. Innya unsheathed her blade and everyone gasped. They all must have thought Innya planned to send the cub with her mother. What were they thinking? Were they really that stupid?

“Innya, don’t,” the King ordered. 

Innya waved him off. She raised her sword and cut into her left arm slightly. She allowed her blood to drip onto the cub and then she put her sword away. She ignored the wound and wondered if any of the fools around besides the midwives knew what she had just done. The midwives obviously knew as their mouths dropped open with surprise. The female holding the baby handed her over to Innya without having to be told.

“I have only seen one other bitch do something so sincere,” the female said to her.

“I owe it to the girl,” Innya replied before turning to the royal family. “You’re all apparently too high class to know what I’ve just done.” How lucky were they to not know about a practice that helped cubs in the lower part of the village to survive. “So, let me tell you. I’ve claimed this cub. She’s my cub. She is my blood. I am her mother.” From their wide-eyed expressions no one expected her to do that.

“Innya…” the King was speechless.

Innya growled at him. “This wasn’t done as a favor to you. I told you to leave her alone.” 

In her mind, he held the other half of the blame for Yayi’s death. They finally shared something together besides a son. Innya looked down at the girl’s corpse. 

“Look where your lust has gotten us. She loved you, loved you with every ounce of her, but you couldn’t even love her a fraction of that. You couldn’t love her because you would’ve encouraged her to live her life, to experience life, but you hoarded her like you do everything else and just claimed to love her.” Innya looked at him as if he was the lowest of the low and she hoped he understood she meant it.

“Innya…” He held up a hand, as if he wanted to say something, but what was there to say?

She curled her lip at him. “What do you know about love? Nothing. You’re too selfish to know how to love something properly, let alone someone. I used to hate you, but after this, after what you did to her, there aren’t even words that can describe my feelings toward you. I don’t even want to kill you. I want to wipe your memory off of the face of the planet. I want the world to forget you ever existed.”

“Innya…” The King could not think of a way to defend himself. In reflection, once anger and pain no longer controlled Innya’s mind, she realized he actually seemed remorseful. He had not even held remorse when Innya had killed Kalycha, but for Yayi, he even mourned her passing. Once or twice, he even wept, but it did not matter. His tears would not bring back Yayi. His tears would not raise their daughter.

Innya turned her attention to her female counterparts. “Ladies, this is my daughter now and I’m all too aware of the feelings you hold for her. You just need to know a few things, like if my cub should happen to die, I will blame you. I don’t care if it seems like a sickness or an accident, I’ll blame you. If when she’s old enough to run around and she scrapes her knee and you’re within sight of her, I’ll blame you. If, when she’s a young lady and wishes to be married, but she can’t find a suitor, I’ll blame you. Any rumor about her, I’ll blame you. Any misfortune that might befall her, I’ll blame you. Anything that hurts her in any way or that she doesn’t like, I’ll blame you because it’s more than likely your fault. And if you thought the penalties for coming on my side of the palace were heavy, just try me with this. You won’t enjoy it. No one will be able to stop me. And, you’ll beg me to end the agony by killing you swiftly. If you don’t believe me, just try me. I can be evil.” 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Tonotec reacts to his new sister.


	24. Change for the Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

24: Change for the Better

Innya left the room with her new daughter, unable to stand being in the same area as any of the members of the royal family or Yayi’s dead body. She retreated to her room with the cub. At first, it seemed stupid of her to grab the cub. She had not even wanted her own cub in the beginning, yet she was about to willingly raise the cub of a girl she believed she helped to her death. She had to do it though. She had failed Yayi so badly, this was the least she could do.

 _When did you get a conscience?_ She did not know, but it was so bothersome. It made her do strange, nonsensical things. But, what was done was done. It was time for her to spring into action for the sake of the baby.

Innya had to locate someone to nurse the cub and she did not trust any of the servants in the palace. One of her students had recently had a cub. That would be of some help, but then there would be times when the cub would wake up in the middle of the night wanting to be fed and Innya had no solution for that. Before she could figure anything out, Tonotec entered the room.

“Mother, I heard,” he said in his usual tone, so he could have been referring to several things. 

“That Yayi is dead?” Innya asked.

“Yes.” Tonotec’s face tensed for a moment and he looked away. When he turned back, she could see a trace of emotions in his eyes. “What of my brother?” he asked.

“Come,” Innya ordered her son and he complied. Innya showed him the newborn she held. “Meet your new sister.” Innya had not taken much time to look at the baby either, so she would get a good look with him.

“Sister?” Tonotec’s face twisted. He did not comprehend. He was supposed to have a brother. He always had a brother.

“Yayi had a little girl.”

Tonotec nodded and focused on the baby pressed to Innya’s chest. The baby was a tiny creature. Probably the size Innya herself had been. She was silent so far, as if she was in mourning herself, missing a mother she would never know. Tonotec rubbed her pink forehead with his thumb and the baby opened her eyes wide and made her first sound, a coo. _She knows her brother_. That was good.

“I’ve taken the cub for her. Tonotec, this is your sister. She’s your complete blood. You have to protect her. She’s deep in enemy territory,” Innya said.

“No harm shall befall my sister while I’m around,” he vowed right then and there. He would always keep his word, even though a problem or two lay ahead.

Tonotec took the news of having a sister rather well. He also took Yayi’s death rather well. He had liked Yayi very much, but he hid it to a degree, just like he hid the fact that her death upset him. Even at the funeral, Tonotec wore an indifferent expression on his face while Yayi was put to rest in the royal cemetery. Innya also wore an indifferent expression. But, three people spoke at Yayi’s funeral — the King, Innya, and Tonotec. The latter two barely spoke a combined four sentences, though. They did not have anything positive to say at the moment. They were so angry inside. 

“Your legacy will be well taken care of and live on,” Innya said, holding Yayi’s baby to her chest. “She will know you.”

“She’s with us, just like you were,” Tonotec said. His chin wobbled, but he quickly set it in place.

Innya could have sworn she actually saw her husband shed a tear. Maybe love to him was different than what love was to Innya. Maybe he loved Yayi in his own way. But, it did not matter. Yayi was dead regardless.

Innya stood at the grave for longer than she should have, holding her daughter, Yayi’s daughter. The world seemed grayer without Yayi. It was different from when her parents left the world. The world had been muted then, but now there was no color. The world was dull, stale.

“But, there will be bursts of color and sounds for you,” Innya promised the cub.

When she finally left, she noticed Tonotec heading back. He would stand at the grave and try to make sense of this. But, the world did not make sense. It was awful they were learning this at the same time when she was twenty-five years older than he was. He deserved more time for the world to shine. And even then, he had more time than his poor sister, who was born into gray. Because no matter how much color, sound, sweet things there were, his sister would still lack something so substantial, there was no way to fully comprehend it being gone. Even now, Innya felt lost without her parents. 

-8-8-8-8-

It took the King a while to approach Innya on the subject of his daughter. Innya had named the cub Poya, using the first two letters of their mothers’ names to form the name and honor them through the cub. She hoped the honor would bring Poya more luck and fortune than it had their mothers.

Innya had also solved the question of feeding Poya rather quickly. She opted on methods most Wolves would not and went with livestock milk. Wolves thought it was unclean, degrading, and disgusting for a cub to drink the milk of another species, but it kept Poya alive and that was all that mattered to Innya. Poya did not seem to mind, having quite the healthy appetite for it. 

At the moment, Innya sat with her in a chair and drank from the bottle without stopping. She emptied the bottle and curled into Innya, ready for a nap. That would be the hard part. Poya fought sleep like she hated it and cried whenever she was tired, as if the noise would keep her awake.

“Innya,” the King said without growling her name for the first time in a long time. He stuck his head into her room before figuring out it was safe to come in since she was not yelling at him or even trying to kill him like she usually would.

Innya turned to acknowledge he could step even further into the room if he wanted to and then she went back to her task of rocking Poya to sleep. Poya was a fussy cub when it came to naps. She never went to sleep without Innya rocking her for several long minutes. Innya did not mind. Maybe Poya was aware a different set of arms were supposed to be holding her, comforting her, sending her off to sleep and it bothered her those arms would never be there. Poya was allowed to cry.

The King stepped over to the pair and watched the scene for a long moment. He focused on Poya and did not flinch as she let out a wail. Innya clicked her tongue at Poya, as that sometimes attracted her attention enough to get her to stop crying. Poya sniffled and curled into Innya’s chest, but continued weeping. The King stepped closer.

“You can hate me all that you want because you have reason to. But, you have to allow me to be in my daughter’s life,” he said in a tone that was not an order. He was pleading with her.

“I’m not stopping you. Yayi would’ve wanted you to be in the cub’s life,” Innya replied. What good would it do? Who knew? But, it was what Yayi would have wanted. _Not that I should’ve indulged her the first time_.

The King was silent. He more than likely had been expecting her to fight him on the issue. Innya could not fight him, though. There was no issue. Yayi loved him and she would have wanted him to be in their daughter’s life like a real father and not what he was doing with his sons. Innya would have been surprised if he knew all of his sons’ names. Innya turned to him as Poya settled into a light sleep, sucking the edge of her blanket. 

“Do you want to hold her?” Innya inquired.

“Hold her?” he echoed as if he did not quite understand. He had probably never held a baby a day in his life.

“If I can do it then anybody can do it.”

“All right,” the King said. 

Innya handed Poya over to him gently. Poya practically disappeared in his massive hand as he curled his arm around her. He seemed so amazed by the tiny creature that was his daughter, his eyes glinting with emotion. One would never guess the man had eleven, about to be twelve other cubs. 

“What is she called?” he asked in a low voice.

“Poya.”

He nodded and sniffled. “That’s nice. I wish I could’ve named her. But, the name you’ve given her is very nice.”

Innya nodded for lack of a better thing to do. Her husband seemed very content with having a daughter, happy to hold her, and acknowledge her. It was like he was supposed to have a daughter, which was odd considering the way he tended to treat females.

“Do you need anything for her?” he asked.

“I have everything I need,” she replied.

“Well, should you need more, let me know.”

She nodded once more. He stared at Poya, touching her very carefully with his free hand. He caressed her forehead with his thumb, like Tonotec did. It was a strange coincidence, but it was good to see Poya being loved.

-8-8-8-8-

The King ended up being an active part of Poya’s life, too, way more than with his other cubs. He made it a point to visit his little girl at least once a day. He made suggestions on what they should do with Poya, and even though he and Innya spoke to each other very little, they discussed Poya’s future. He sincerely loved having a daughter.

“When does she get to eat solid food?” the King asked as he fed Poya a bottle. They were in Innya’s room. She kept the cub with her for now.

“Solid food won’t come for a while,” Innya replied.

He nodded. “And tutors? When will she need those? We have to get her the best of the best. What do princesses need to know?”

Innya shrugged. “I have no idea. We have time.”

The King was silent. Innya moved and sat down next to him. He passed Poya to her, bottle done. He had a hard time helping the cub with gas because of his mountain-like size, so that was left to Innya. She did not mind.

“Maybe you should have guards, just in case,” he said as he looked around the room.

“I think I have this. You’re worrying too much,” she replied.

He leaned over and stroked Poya’s back with one enormous finger. “We have to worry. Look how small she is. How will she ever make it?”

Innya laughed. “She’s going to grow.”

“But… she’s still going to be small and delicate.”

“Is she? I’d like to think I won’t that happen.”

He glanced at her. “You can make her not small?”

“Well, obviously not that. If there was a way to not be small, I’m sure my father would’ve figured out how to stretch me. But, she won’t be delicate. And, why would she need guards? She has me. She has Tonotec.” She looked at him. “She has you.”

He grunted. She focused on Poya, who cooed and then let out a loud belch. Innya held the baby away from her and she laughed along with the King. Poya was a treasure.

-8-8-8-8-

Tonotec kept his promise on protecting his little sister and he alienated himself from his brothers, which he actually seemed to like. Innya could see he was happy with having more time to train and learn than having to try to get along with his brothers in any way. Innya was the same way when it came to her five counterparts. Innya and Tonotec had both come to the conclusion that the other members of the royal family were not even worth their time to hate. He focused on training and she focused her every concern on Poya.

Innya put up with evil glares from her counterparts at dinner since that was pretty much the only time that she actually saw them daily. She did not bring Poya with her because the cub was usually asleep when dinner was served. Tonotec volunteered to watch his baby sister because after much whining from his father’s wives he was no longer allowed to eat with them. He refused to eat with his brothers, so he took his evening meal in his mother’s room and watched Poya sleep. Sometimes, Innya would find Tonotec fixing Poya’s blankets to make sure she was properly covered or moving her toy from her face or reading softly to her. Tonotec loved his sister, even though he tried to act like she did not mean anything to him.

Innya often wondered how long five grown bitches could hold an immature grudge against a cub because her mother had been favored above them by their one husband. Innya would have never guessed years. She had only hated two people in her life for years and it was them that she hated, not their offspring. Their offspring did not have anything to do with why she hated them. Innya could not fathom hating someone who could not at least hate her back if the person chose to. Poya was a baby. She could barely sit up on her own, so hating someone was far-fetched for her to do.

Innya was stunned that by the time Poya could walk, she was still the most hated creature in the whole palace. She had barely been alive for a year, yet people hated her like it was a way to gain fame. Whenever someone saw Poya, there was always a glare until they met Innya’s eyes. Then, expressions turned into nervous smiles and laughs as the person hustled away.

Poya’s first steps were a shocker. Innya had sat her on the floor and Poya just sat there, sucking her thumb as usual. Every now and then, she would stand up and then sit back down. She never attempted steps. She never even tried to walk on all fours like most cubs started doing. If she wanted to move, she would cry until she got picked up. That day was different. 

Out of the blue, the King pointed at the cub because she was wobbling over to the door. “Innya, are you seeing this?” he asked in a near whisper. She did not know the King could whisper until he realized startling Poya was a good way to get her to stop doing something.

Innya turned and swallowed a gasp. She mouthed the words to the King. “Her first steps.” His eyes went wider than they already were.

Poya walked the length of Innya’s bedroom without falling. Then she got upset when she got to the door and it would not open, so she fell to the floor in tears. Apparently, she had some place to go. Innya and the King had no clue where that place was, but Poya was vexed to not be able to make it there on her own.

“I have her,” the King said as he went to help Poya up. Poya stopped crying immediately and grinned at him. He chuckled and glanced at Innya. “I’ve never… She’s the only cub I’ve seen take her first steps.”

Innya did not know what to say to that, so she did not say anything. It was sad more than anything else. _Are there other fathers like this in this tribe?_ There probably was, taking their cue from the King. She wanted to give him credit for being there for Poya, but she could not bring herself to do it. Parents were supposed to be there for cubs, without fanfare or praise. 

-8-8-8-8-

The King was very much a presence in Poya’s life, so much so that her third word was “poppa.” She came right out with “poppa” not “dad” or “dada.” Her first word was “mama,” which she screamed to the high heavens when she found out it got Innya to come to her faster depending on the pitch she used. Poya’s second word had been “Toe” because saying “Tonotec” was a mouthful and she found he came just as fast if she called out “Toe” rather than his whole name. 

“Toe!” Poya fell as she tried to run into the garden.

“Poya!” Tonotec sheathed his sword and was by Poya’s side immediately. He lifted her from the dirt and then glared at Innya as she walked in behind Poya. “Mother, she’s going to hurt herself.”

Innya waved it off. “Cubs are meant to fall. At her age, you were already getting beaten up by your grandfather.” 

Poya whined and pulled at Tonotec’s hair. Tonotec curled his lip and Innya took Poya from him. Poya cuddled against her chest. Tonotec stared at them, head tilted.

“She’s been looking for you,” Innya said to Tonotec.

“I have practice,” he replied.

“I know that, but she doesn’t. She just kept screaming about Toe and then she saw you.”

He groaned and poked Poya. “Toe-no-tec.”

“Toe!” Poya grinned and then slapped at his hand. “Toe!”

“Toe-no-tec.” He stood his finger at her and she grabbed it.

“Toe!” She yanked on his finger.

Tonotec growled and pulled his finger back. He snorted in her direction and Poya giggled. Tonotec tapped her nose and she giggled more. Innya tried her best to hold back a smile, but it was impossible. How was it possible to love two people so much?

-8-8-8-8-

By the time Poya was three, Innya could see she was going to be very different from Tonotec. She was louder for one, but she was not annoying about it like Hetanu was. She was excited over everything and she loved to talk. Poya’s favorite thing to do was ask her parents questions, which they tried their best to answer no matter how ridiculous the question was. Innya could tell if she tried to get Poya to suppress her emotions, the girl would explode. She could also tell if she tried to turn Poya into a warrior at the moment, she would fail miserably. 

While Poya liked to stick to her now that she could get around rather well, Tonotec had become increasingly withdrawn from both her and his sister as time passed. By the time Poya was three, he seemed to avoid her and Innya at all costs. Innya thought that perhaps he was trying to exercise some independence because he was sixteen by that time. Tonotec was practically an adult, so she did not think too much of his odd behavior… for a little while anyway.

Then Tonotec did what Innya labeled “the most suicidal thing” her son had ever done. He managed to anger his mother beyond belief. It was not just what he did, but the way he had to think that she was stupid if he believed he was putting something over on her. 

Innya could faintly smell her teenage cub on plenty of her teenage female students, which was not a good thing and she blamed him. To most people, it probably would not mean much, but she was a Wolf and her sense of smell told her a lot of importation. He must have lost his mind if he thought that she would allow him to disgrace her students in any manner. She damn sure would not let him to just pluck women from her ranks to satisfy himself.

Innya decided to address the issue with her son after she caught his scent on a majority of her female teenage students. She needed to let her students know, as well her son. She spoke with her students first. She did not want to stick her nose in the girls’ personal business, but she needed them to know there was a time and place for everything. Her class was not the place for this, but as her students talked to her, she understood it was worse than she assumed. It hurt her to hear how much they made Tonotec sound like his father. 

Tonotec used his status as high prince to coax her students to go to bed with him. There were promises and some of them were weak. It was disappointing. 

But, for some others, Tonotec pretended with them. He pretended to care, pretended they were special, and he broke their hearts. They were made to believe they were the only one for him, and then they found out the truth. He never seemed to care about their pain, never seemed to care about his lies. 

For a moment, Innya considered killing her only son. His behavior was just that disgusting to her. If he was going to treat her students like they were his toys, then he deserved what she would do to anyone else who played with them. She was just as responsible for them as she was for him when they were with her.

Tonotec’s behavior would not do and his mother was not going to put up with it. When she put Poya down for her nap, she went to pay her son a little visit. He was not in his room and she waited around for him until he returned to do his afternoon reading. He was almost as predictable as his father. When he stepped into the room, he regarded her with frozen gold eyes. He was almost asking her to kill him.

“Mother,” Tonotec said in a voice so cold it would have made a lesser soul shiver, but he was the cub and she was the parent. 

Her cub was almost the size of two of her now. He was trim and had taken to spoiling himself with royal silks and leather armor. _Where did he pick up his fashion sense?_ Probably from the same place he picked up his new attitude. _Where did I go wrong? I thought I had him on the right path_.

“There’s something we need to discuss,” Innya said, already pushing her limits to even discuss the issue with him. She wanted to knock him unconscious and leave him to swallow his tongue, especially if he continued to stare at her as if she was lower than the dirt on the bottom of his boots.

“I doubt there is,” he replied.

“My students,” she said, ignoring his smart response.

“What about them?” he asked as if he did not care and he did not, which was the problem.

“This is how you wish to play it, Tonotec? I’m stupid, son? Is that it? I’m just so stupid that I’m not even worth your time?”

“Mother, you should leave,” he tried to dismiss her. In a second, Tonotec was going to regret everything he had done in the past few months.

“I should leave?” Innya had to laugh. She stepped over to him. He looked over her rather than down at her. He was being very disrespectful for some reason that went past her. She could not think of what might have made him start acting like his father. All she knew was she disliked it.

“Yes, Mother, you should.”

Tonotec’s seriousness, arrogance really, angered his mother the most that day. The fact that he ordered her around or acted like he was warning her was the next thing that really vexed her. But, she was certain the thing that prompted her next action was the fact that he refused to look at her. 

Innya punched her son in the gut with enough force to make him drop to his knees. He groaned and fell before her. She slapped him across the cheek, which instantly turned red. The rest of his face followed as he tried to breathe through the gut punch. She wanted to make sure she had his attention and that he understood where they stood as far strength went. He was stronger than most, but she was still stronger than he was. He no longer had age on his side and she found herself punishing him with brute force for the first and last time.

“Now, let’s try this again since I have your full attention. My students,” Innya said.

“Yes, Mother?” His voice was strained and he groaned. He had no idea his mother was strong enough to have him crumble in two blows. Her son was tough, but he just was not at her level yet. He still had years of training ahead of him. One day, when they were on better ground, she would share with him the times her father had to check her when she was his age.

“Are you actually sleeping with my students?” 

“Yes,” he confessed. It was best to tell the truth, especially considering how angry he had made his mother.

She let loose a slow breath through her nose. “Now, why would you do something like that? Didn’t I say that whoever touched my students was my enemy? Didn’t I say that?”

“Yes, Mother.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Did you think I was joking or lying or that I didn’t mean you?”

“No, Mother.”

“Then why is it you’re pushing my students around because you’re the high prince? The way I can smell you all over them is just disgusting and that was going to be enough for me to chew you out, but then it goes further. Some of them even cried about how no matter how hard they scrubbed the smell wouldn’t come off. They hate you for what you did to them.”

“I didn’t rape them…” he said in his own defense.

She could not scowl hard enough. “So, I should give you credit because you didn’t force yourself on them?”

“I didn’t.”

“You lied to them, Tonotec. Lie, after lie, after lie. Didn’t you tell me that your word was always going to be good enough? How can I trust a liar?” she inquired quite seriously.

“I didn’t lie.”

“No?” She folded her arms across her chest. “You’re lying to me right now. Why did you do this? Do you think my sessions are there for you to pick out females and start ruining people already?” she growled. What had been going through his head to make him do something so thoroughly stupid?

Tonotec groaned again and winced slightly. That pain in his stomach would stick with him for a while and hopefully come back whenever he needed a reminder that he was the cub. “No, Mother.”

“What’s the matter with you?” she yelled into his ears, which was torture to a Wolf. 

He winced and his eyes glistened. The way his jaw wobbled, it seemed like he was going to cry, not from the pain, but he was ashamed. Ashamed of getting caught or what he had done remained to be determined.

“Father said… he said I should act like a man,” he replied.

She curled her top lip. Even when the King was behaving, he still found ways to ruin her life, ruin their child. Did he not understand the potential Tonotec had? Why would Tonotec even entertain this idea? He knew better.

“What does your father know of acting like a man? Going around making false promises and throwing your weight around as the high prince to lay with my students makes you a man? How do those things make you a man?” she inquired.

“Well…” he trailed off.

“That makes you the type of man your father is. Is that it? You want to be the type of man that your father is?” Innya inquired, trying to frown deeper. It just was not possible, which was unfair. She needed this boy to understand how disappointed she was.

“No!” he bellowed and he hurt his already sore stomach. He clutched his abdomen and winced. “You know I don’t want to be anything like him.”

“You are. Look at what you’ve done. This is how your father proves what type of man he is. When you’re king, you’re going to have six wives and fifteen cubs between the lot?” It might actually be more than fifteen. She lost count.

“No.”

“Yes. Well, Tonotec, if you wish to be like your father, feel free,” she spat.

“I don’t, Mother! I swear!” he tried so desperately to convince her.

“What’s your word to me now, Tonotec? It’s nothing. You’ve lied to my students. You’ve disrespected them, me, and the way that I raised you. What am I supposed to think of you now?”

“What do you care anyway? You’ve got Poya now! That’s all you care about!” he replied.

A shock went through Innya and she felt like she had been punched in the gut. She took a step back and stared down at her hurt son. He was jealous of his sister. His idiotic behavior was because of Poya. He thought she did not care about him anymore because she had Poya.

“Tec, I’m only allowed one cub? You’ve divorced me?” Innya asked. She was not as angry anymore, but what made him think because she had Poya the toddler replaced him?

“No, you disregarded me,” Tonotec answered.

She raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“You didn’t even want me in the first place. I was forced on you. You probably still don’t want me, but you don’t have a choice.”

“I don’t have a choice?” Innya could not help laughing.

“No, I was forced onto you because I’m Father’s son. Everybody else was your choice, but not me. Everybody in your life was a choice. And now, you tossed me aside because you never wanted me.”

Innya wanted to laugh, but her son was serious and he was hurt. Innya had actually done a poor job in making her son a better person than she was. Tonotec was stuck to her just like she had been to her parents. He was so stuck to her that he did not even know how to share her between his sister, who he loved very much, but he was still jealous of her. Innya rubbed the top of his head like she used to do when he was little.

“Tec, when I found out I was pregnant with you, I’ll admit I was scared. I had never wanted a cub, but just because I never wanted one didn’t mean and doesn’t mean I’d ever toss you aside. If I really didn’t want you, I could’ve been so careless when I was carrying you, but I wasn’t. I could’ve gone to the Pit and just challenged a bunch of Moon Thieves and ended your life there because they would’ve hit me hard in plenty of places before I defeated them. Hell, I could’ve just let them beat on me. But, I didn’t do that and it wasn’t because I was carrying the King’s heir. I never gave a damn that you were his cub because you’re _my_ cub. I always want you around.”

His chin wobbled again. “Father said Grandmother made you keep me.” _What poison has his father been whispering in his ear?_

“What would he know? I told her about you. If I didn’t want you, I could’ve gotten you killed and never brought it up to her. I’ll admit it scared me to have a cub when I never wanted one, but once I got pregnant with you, I wanted to have you. You have no idea how much I…” Innya did not want to say it, but he was so sure that she did not want him. It needed to be said. “Tonotec, you have no idea how much I love you, son. I loved you from when I first calmed down enough to realize I was scared that I wouldn’t be a good enough mother for you. You saved my life once and I’d never toss you aside. I love you so much and I never want you to doubt that. I can only love you.”

“You never said so before,” he said in a low voice.

Innya blew out a breath. “You never said so either, but I don’t think you want to throw me aside. I’ve never worried you didn’t want me as your mother. You need to believe the same is true as my cub. I’ve never not wanted you.”

He sniffed. “I’ve always been proud to have you as my mother.”

“I know.” She moved to help him to his proper height. “Come on, stand up. I can’t believe you sometimes. Just because I have Poya that doesn’t make you my son any less and you’re acting jealous of Poya. Poya, the girl who worships the ground you walk on. You’re acting just like them.” The “them” that she referred to were the King’s other wives and cubs.

He blinked. “I am, aren’t I?” he said as if he just realized it. He tried to stand up, but he was still too hurt physically to climb to his feet. Innya really could not help him even stand half way up unless she let him use her head to push himself up and she was not going to be doing that no matter how much she loved the knucklehead.

“Is this what the great Lord Tonotec has been reduced to? He’s jealous of his baby sister, who’s only three years old?”

“No,” he replied as he continued to struggle to stand up.

“I cannot believe you would put me through all of this mess because of Poya. And you’re following your father’s advice? What’s the matter with you?”

“I thought he was all I had left.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day,” Innya said while rolling her eyes. “You have to know I would haunt you before I let you father be the only one you have left.”

He sighed. “I admit it was foolish of me. How will I be punished?”

“I think you apologizing to my students should be enough.”

“Apologize?” His eyes went wide. “But, I’m the great Lord Tonotec and Grandmother told me to never apologize.”

“She also told you to always make the best decision you possibly could. I don’t think this was that decision. Now, you can apologize or I could tell everyone that the great Lord Tonotec was jealous of his three-year-old baby sister, who he also bakes cookies with. I know you’ll love that.” 

“Couldn’t you just line up all of your students and let them take their frustration out on me for a few days or something?” he asked.

She wagged her finger at him. “No, that’s not good enough. And if you want to make this really hard, I’ll have you make cookies for them.”

“No. I only do that for Poya.”

“Yeah, and I’ll tell them that. You know I will.”

“Fine, I’ll apologize,” he grumbled. He had only apologized once in his whole life and that was to her. Tonotec really did not believe in apologizing, which would be fine if he made the best decision all the time.

“I figured as much. You have to spend some more time with Poya, too. She keeps talking my ear off as to why you’re not around so much. The cookies aren’t a good bribe, apparently.”

“How are cookies not good enough? She eats them all. I never ever get to try one.”

Innya shrugged. “She misses you reading to her, especially at night. Your absence is noticed.” It might need to be said.

He nodded. “There are plenty of books I still have to read to her.” 

“And you have to find a better way to prove yourself a man because you’re getting to be way too similar to your father for either of our likings. My father once told me that a man is made by his decisions. Poor decisions make a poor man. Don’t ask me why he told me that.” Maybe it was dating advice, but he had to know she was never interested in dating.

“Yes, Mother.”

“All right then.”

“Mother.”

“Yes?” she inquired.

“That hurt. I’ll probably have a bruise.” Tonotec groaned as he finally made it to his feet and he rubbed his very sore cheek. It was red and getting darker by the moment.

Tonotec got over the little pain and had to humiliate himself in front of Innya’s whole teenage session by apologizing. He actually bowed before all of them. Eventually, most of the girls forgave him after he generously allowed them to practice techniques on him. 

He began taking assignments to find out what type of man he was and Innya really did not have to worry about him much anymore. She never had to come at him with intent to hurt him again. She was proud of the man that he was growing into. The only time she even questioned his judgment after that incident was when he came home after a mission desiring to marry a transcendent. All Innya could do was yell at him for that one.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the end.


	25. Connected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do own these characters. Please, don’t use them without my permission.

25: Connected

“And that proved rather ineffective,” Etayay remarked as Innya got to the end of her tale. Well, the end so far. There was still plenty left to tell, someday. Perhaps to Chinto, and other grandcubs. 

“Very ineffective,” Innya added. She was not sure she would ever understand what drew Tonotec to Etayay and it was not because she did not quite understand sexual attraction. They were a strange match, but Etayay did not mean Tonotec any harm and Tonotec wanted to take care of her. It was not a high bar, but it was something Innya could not wrap her mind around. What made Tonotec want to take care of Etayay and why had she not meant him any harm when they first met?

Eryna rubbed her forehead. “Wow, Innya, you went through a lot. I guess I misjudged you.” She shook her head. “You’re just not the person that you pretend to be. I mean, what you did for Poya, that was just great. Amazing really. I mean…” She glanced over at her older sister. 

The issue with Poya not being Innya’s, but Innya taking responsibility for her hit close to home for Eryna. Eryna’s father had a chance to step up, to take care of Etayay, to do the right thing, but he did not. That spoke a lot about his character considering Innya was an antisocial assassin and she took on a needy cub, loving Poya with the same intensity and affection she loved her son. _That man’s a scumbag_. 

“Does she know her mother died?” Eryna asked.

“I’ve told her what I know about Yayi and Tonotec or I take her out to visit the grave as much as we can. She knows as much as I can tell her about her birth mother,” Innya answered. Most of the time, she felt like it was not enough. Poya deserved to know everything about Yayi, not just the three years she spent in the palace, but there was not much of a life before that. Yayi had been a slave for almost her entire life and her treatment had been beyond awful. Maybe Poya did not need to know that part. She knew the good things, but she deserved so much more.

“You’re a great person, Innya,” Eryna said sincerely, but the assassin only rolled her eyes. 

Transcendents always looked on the bright side of things, even the ones who were realists. The only one Innya had ever met that seemed to live in the real world was Etayay and she was cracked in the head somehow. Doing good deeds did not make someone good. Innya’s intentions were almost never good, except maybe with Poya. But, even with her own son, her desires for him to be better than she was did not mean she wanted him to be a good person. If she had her way, Tonotec would live his life with a pile of bodies under his feet. That was not good.

Eryna turned to her sister because she wanted to get one question out of the way while it was on her mind. “Etayay.”

“Yes?” the older sister replied.

“Did you know that Tonotec had been with so many other women before you?” the younger sister inquired.

Etayay shrugged, bored with the matter already. “He’s told me. I cannot change the past.”

“As long as he isn’t with any other bitches now,” Innya said.

Etayay gave a short nod. “Yes, that would be a problem.”

“A big problem, but I imagine you’d take care of it,” Eryna said.

Innya cracked her knuckles. “If not her, I’d definitely take that cub down a peg or two.”

Eryna chuckled. “I think Etayay could handle it, but it’s good someone wants to help her.” She smiled at her sister before turning her attention back to Innya. “Are you happy with this life now? I mean, after all that you had to go through in this place, are you happy now?” 

Innya was not sure how to answer that. She was not sure if she was ever “happy.” It seemed like too much for someone like her. But, she did not need to be “happy.” Life was bearable. 

“I can say that for once in a very long time I have a life I’m content with. My cubs are happy. I have a beautiful grandchild. I have a daughter and the nervous sideshow that comes along with her,” Innya answered.

“Why do I have to be a nervous sideshow?” Eryna asked with a smile. She was all right with being insulted because she knew Innya was playing with her.

“I think everyone deserves a little happiness in life and you were due,” Etayay said to her mother-in-law.

“Yeah, Innya, I mean, you didn’t deserve a lot of things that happened to you. You’re not as bad as you’d like us to believe,” Eryna commented. “Thank you for sharing all of that with me.”

“As long as you learned something from it and don’t tell anyone, it’s not a big deal,” Innya remarked. That was what her life really boiled down to. She had this desire to teach people. She was not sure where it came from. Maybe her parents put that in her without meaning to. However it got there, it was there and she could not escape it.

“I did and, I won’t,” Eryna promised. “Why do you act like you hate everybody, though when it’s obvious you don’t?”

Innya snorted. “Don’t you have something to do? It’s well into the afternoon. Don’t you and that idiot have something to do together?” She did not care for liking people, even though she could not help it, but she definitely did not want to talk about why she acted like she did not like anybody.

“I do actually. I agreed to watch that moron Hetanu go get beat up at the Pit,” Eryna answered with a small smile.

“Why would you agree to that?” Etayay asked. Her sister was not one for violence and she was not usually one to watch a fight.

Eryna shrugged. “He just pestered me until I wanted to crack his head open, but I can’t do that, so I caved. He’s such a jerk and he’s going to kill me for being late. Bye,” she said with a wave and she walked off.

“If he was such a jerk, she’d stay away from him. What’s with them, though? They are very buddy-buddy,” Innya commented. She was not sure if they were teen crushes or what, as she still had a hard time judging those sorts of things, but they had a very rough friendship. She did not understand why Eryna would not just hit that idiot. She used to hit Taeyrin all the time when he was annoying.

Etayay gave her a look. “It’s not what everyone thinks. That would be too logical for those two. Too logical and I suppose much too predictable for them.” 

“Good thing I don’t think like everyone else.”

“That’s true.”

Innya nodded. “Beyond that, it’s as you say. That’d be too predictable for them. They never do the predictable thing because if they did, one of them would at least be injured for life with the way they argue. They remind me of whenever I have sibling students. They can destroy each other, but should someone else threaten them, they’ll rain hell down on that person.” 

“I’ve actually witnessed them do that. Human siblings are sometimes the same.”

Innya scratched her chin. “I think somehow that’s a mark of a stable household. All the siblings I’ve seen like that come from decent households. It’s a little odd.”

“It is, but they need that.”

It seemed to be so. Innya did not know enough about Eryna to know if she needed companionship, but Hetanu was the type. It was one of the reasons he clung to Tonotec, even while being abrasive toward Tonotec. He had been missing that for a while. “I’m stunned Ashti’s allowing her precious Hetanu to have Eryna’s company.”

Etayay let loose a tiny scoff. “Who said that she was allowing it?”

“I see.” Innya nodded. That made even more sense. She was a little impressed with Hetanu recognizing his friendship with Eryna enough to defy his mother. “More issues for this side of the palace.”

“You like the chaos of it all. You like to get under people’s skin, causing an itch. You enjoy that more than anything else.”

“I do,” Innya agreed, wiggling her eyebrows.

Etayay chuckled and she turned her back on Innya for a moment. She took a few paces in a small circle. She faced her mother-in-law and smirked at her. Innya knew that look on her “daughter’s” face. Etayay knew something she should not know suddenly and she was not one to keep things to herself like people thought she was.

“You loved my biological father, didn’t you?” Etayay accused Innya so calmly it seemed as if she was asking Innya about the weather.

“The little transcendent.” Innya chuckled as if she had just been told a most amusing joke.

“That’s why you needed to kill him. You wanted to destroy the desire you held for him. I listen to the way you talk about him and you try so hard to act like he meant nothing to you. But, the way you always get caught up in talking about him and the way you don’t like to talk about love, yet you obviously have a clear idea as to what you believe it is. You were deeply in love with him.”

There was no point in denying it and her daughter-in-law would never betray her trust to anyone. “Yes, I was. But, it was different from the love I’ve observed in others.”

“Regardless, you loved him in a way that suited you.”

Innya’s heart softened a bit at the thought of him. How different would her life have been had she at least admitted to herself that she loved him? What would have happened if instead of trying to kill him and bury her feelings, she confronted them? Told him?

“It wasn’t fair that he was a transcendent. If he had been a Wolf, I probably would’ve tried to marry him as soon as I was old enough. But, there was something I didn’t feel, which has always confused me.” Maybe Etayay could help her make sense of it. Etayay had a way of making nonsense make sense by being more confusing. It was a strange talent.

“Despite your love for him, you had no sexual desire for him.”

Innya shrugged. “For no one. Do you think it’s odd?”

Etayay chuckled. “Do I think it’s odd?” 

Innya put her hand to her face and shook her head for a second. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Honestly, I had never felt such a thing until Tonotec and only feel such for him. But, I’ve always felt a bit detached from people. I can observe, but not be a part.”

Somehow, that made sense, but she was not sure if Etayay wanted to hear that. She was not yet sure if Etayay had no desire to be “a part.” Etayay sort of floated through existence and Innya had yet to completely figure her out, much like with Taeyrin.

“You are certainly his child. He was such a strange fellow. You remind me of him somewhat. He was serious, but he knew how to laugh and cut loose. He didn’t take himself so seriously and I think if you would’ve gotten to know him, you would love your father,” Innya said.

“Perhaps,” Etayay admitted, but the way her face pinched, she did not likely believe it. She was entitled. Both fathers had failed her miserably. “How do you know I don’t love him? He’s my biological father.”

Innya waved the question off. “I know about you just as you know about me. No one has ever figured out that I loved him. You’re subtle in your dislike, quiet about it. You don’t speak about him much, which is telling.”

“Of course it is.”

There was a silence between them that was known to happen when conversing with Etayay. Would Etayay be different, less awkward if she had been raised by the little transcendent? Probably. For a long time, Innya understood and appreciated how fortunate she had been to have a loving and attentive father. He was someone she could only be proud of. Cubs deserved fathers like that, deserved parents like hers, but all too often did not get that. 

Etayay glanced at the sky and then looked back at Innya. “So, you loved him in a way where you wanted to be with him, but not sexually. Would he have accepted that?”

Innya shook her head. “I doubt it. I loved him since we were cubs and I knew it, even before I had a name for it, but never let on. Then his father and the King had their problems and I couldn’t even play with him anymore. I was content to play with him, even though I knew he’d never love me.” That was something that factored into her desire to kill him. She knew he would never be in love with her. He might have loved her, but not the way she loved him. It was a little grating. 

Etayay’s eyes drifted toward the sky once more. “It sounds like he held affection for you.”

“Not as one would love a companion, a spouse. His affections were brotherly. Then we had to be enemies and I was expected to kill him whenever I saw him. I still loved him though, so I twisted it as best I could into hate. The passion I loved him with, I directed it to my murderous side so I could destroy him when I needed to. Then, I could destroy him and what he meant to be and be free of the whole matter.” It was not like love ever suited her, except for the love of her parents and cubs. 

“Do you suppose your mother was right? Maybe you couldn’t kill him after all. You had so many chances,” Etayay pointed out.

Innya scratched her cheek with one finger. “I could’ve killed him. I think it would’ve brought me peace of mind eventually. Some sort of closure, rather than the feeling gnawing at me.”

“Or it would’ve replaced the gnawing.”

“I doubt it.” That never happened before, so she did not see why it would happen with him. “I wanted to kill him, but I didn’t want to kill him. I loved him and when I saw him with your mother by the river, I felt I loved him enough to let him go. It was better for him to be with her, another transcendent. My loving him did nothing for him, but then he came to me and told me that he understood why I had to kill him. He knew I loved him and that it hurt to not be loved in return and I wanted to free myself of that, but he wasn’t supposed to understand that. It just didn’t make any sense to me. He should’ve been happy with your mother.”

Etayay shrugged. “Like you and he, he and my mother couldn’t be together either. He let her go.”

“Obviously it wasn’t as easy for him as it was for me,” Innya replied with a half smirk. 

“I suppose it’s more difficult to do when there's mutual attraction and he always did say that you were stronger than he was according to your stories. He was not wrong.” Etayay’s face twitched. “He gave in and he lay with another man’s wife.”

“I assume it was easier for me since I had no desire to physically be with him.” The thought made her cringe. 

“But, you still let him go without burdening him with your emotions. You did it right.”

“From the way you say that I’d think you lost respect for him for that, even though it led to your birth,” Innya said.

“It was a selfish act.” Etayay curled her lip. It was not like her, expressing emotion and judging someone. “If he wanted my mother to know how much he loved her, then he either should’ve taken her away from the pig she was married to or he should’ve stayed with her. Sleeping with her only hurts her more in the long run. It solves nothing. It does nothing but hurt and cause more pain in the long run. So, maybe you’re actually blessed to not feel those things.”

Innya could not argue that. “That was a poor decision on his part. He wasn’t as bad as you think he was, but I won’t try to change your mind on it. Your feelings are your feelings.”

Etayay nodded. That was not something she got through her life. She was used to hearing her feelings were wrong, mostly by that jerk who raised her. Well, housed her. It was awful for Taeyrin’s legacy to end with a poor decision that led to a poor life for his only offspring. How different things would have been if he had done one thing better. _We can’t change the past, but I won’t let her come to harm ever again if it can be helped_.

“You know, I don’t know if Tonotec realizes how lucky he is. I’m sure if one of his brothers came home with you, his father would’ve killed you right before his eyes,” Innya said. The King had some concern for his heir.

Etayay wrinkled her nose. “Perhaps he would’ve tried. I think Poya was what saved me from the King.” That much was probably true. There was no cub more indulged than Poya in the palace. “I wish she had saved me from you. I’m almost certain he cannot do more damage to me than you did that night.”

“You can’t always use her as a shield,” Innya replied.

“I know that. I also know had my father loved you in return, you two would’ve had to leave here if you wanted to be together. You wouldn’t have been able to leave your parents like that.” That was probably true.

“I suppose. It all worked out, though.” Innya motioned between them. Things could have been better, but it was what it was. That was life. Etayay should understand that better than most.

“Yes, but perhaps it would’ve worked out differently and better had you been able to have what you wanted. Though you’re content with this existence, I think you would’ve been very happy with your little transcendent.” 

Innya was not sure about that and she did not travel down that road in her own mind ever. “I’d prefer my son be happy with his little former transcendent. Out of everything that’s happened to me, believe it or not, you make up for it.”

Tonotec always talked about how his mother loved having a daughter and he did not know how right he was. It did not make her love him any less. There was something different with having a daughter, though. Innya was very pleased that Etayay was around. Etayay just had a way with people it seemed once they gave her a chance. She had a way of brightening a day without trying much. She brought about a strange sense of calm when she was around and most of all, she made Innya’s children happy.

“You’re so fortunate that I speak nonsense in most people’s opinion if anything at all. You confess too much to me,” Etayay said.

“I only give you what you give me,” Innya replied. She had no problem with speaking the truth to Etaya, as Etayay always spoke the truth to her. But, there was also the fact that most of the time, no one understood what the hell Etayay was saying. “Besides, I still have some secrets.”

“Not many.” Etayay circled her again for no reason. “I mean, you loved Yayi as well.”

Innya rubbed her forehead. “That one I’m not entirely sure about. I never figured out how I loved her. I always assumed it was like a sister. Again, I don’t experience sexual attraction and I don’t have a lot of experience with relationships, so it’s hard to qualify what I felt for her. It never would’ve occurred to me at the time I could have romantic feelings for a female either. It’s not the norm in the Wolf tribe. Not that it matters, I failed her as much as your father failed you.”

Etayay was silent for a long time, staring at Innya. She knew she had to wait for it. She was not sure if Etayay’s odd pauses came from her trying to order her thoughts or if she was trying to figure out the best way to put something or if her mind just turned off for short periods of time. Whatever the cause, Innya was certain it was a symptom of her abuse and neglect.

“You didn’t fail her,” Etayay said. “She was happy here, with you. You gave her a life she never would’ve experienced. Nothing you could’ve done would have saved her from childbirth. Eventually, she would have had a child and there’s no telling if the outcome would’ve been different.”

Innya never looked at it that way. She took death as a matter of moments. Yayi was in the moment at the wrong time. It never occurred to her that every moment would have been wrong in regards to Yayi giving birth. “Those were a lot of wise words.”

Etayay smiled a little bit. She always spoke very openly with Innya. They connected for the most part because they did not judge each other and they tried their best to understand each other. They tried to make sure nothing between them was ever left unsaid because they both knew leaving things unsaid messed a lot of things up.

Etayay was posed to reply to Innya, but she was distracted. Etayay turned to the garden entrance as her husband entered holding their son. Innya turned to regard her cub and grandson. Tonotec went to Etayay and gave her a small peck on the cheek

“We’re not interrupting anything, are we?” Tonotec inquired.

“You two never interrupt us.” Etayay turned back to her mother-in-law. “Innya, I don’t suppose you’d like to watch Chinto for a moment? I want to go for a walk with Tonotec.” Etayay took her husband’s hand.

“I can watch him,” Innya replied and Tonotec handed the baby over to his mother. The couple exited the area while Innya was preoccupied with her ice blue eyed grandson. She rocked him and he cooed. Innya smiled and he grinned back. “You look so much like your mother. You’re going to be like her. I can see that already.” She meant it as a compliment.

-8-8-8-8-

Etayay would not have agreed with Innya’s statement if she heard because she did not grin like her son liked to do. Etayay would not mind if her son looked like her or like Tonotec. Looks did not matter to her in any way and she had no idea why they mattered to other people. She just needed to feel a connection in her soul. She felt completed through that and she thought Innya was probably the same. Innya might not like a lot of people, but she needed to soul bond with those close to her.

“Did you get to practice with your sister?” Tonotec asked.

“No. Your mother shared,” Etayay replied.

“Shared?”

Etayay squinted as she thought on how to put it. “Her life. She gave Eryna her life.”

“Eryna actually sat there long enough to hear Mother’s life story?” It was nice that he understood her.

Etayay nodded. “She was fascinated.” It was good for Innya to share her story with Eryna. It opened Innya up more and allowed her to connect with people who wanted to be there for her, with her. Etayay’s sisters liked Innya for the most part and they liked knowing more about her. 

Etayay liked Innya, too. She thought Innya had a way of drawing at least young women to her as if they were looking for a guide to life in her, but Innya did not understand why that was. Etayay was not sure either, but she knew she went to Innya just like Ashti had years before her and just like Yayi had done. There was something about Innya that seemed to indicate she could help, and Etayay felt she could help if she felt like it. It was probably the same thing in Innya that drove her to teach.

“Mother’s story wasn’t too much for your sister?” Tonotec asked. “She’s very sheltered.”

“I saw no signs,” Etayay replied.

Tonotec blew out a breath. “It’s early yet.”

With luck, he was only being the pessimist Innya raised him to be. “Ominous.”

“Accurate.”

-8-8-8-8-

Tonotec’s worry turned out to be true. Etayay had thought her sister had escaped the tale without being mentally warped, which for Eryna would have been an accomplishment. She seemed to be normal enough, but she had to prove Etayay wrong the next time they went to meditate. There were things that stuck out for Eryna.

“Etayay,” Eryna said as they parked themselves in the garden by the tree. They settled into their mediation formation.

“Yes?” Etayay asked as she touched the grass with both palms. The connection to the earth calmed her.

“When Innya was telling me about the part that you didn’t want her to tell me, she said that the King mounted her from behind.”

Etayay knew she should have stopped her sister right there. Eryna could not possibly be going anywhere important with her statement, but Etayay decided to hear her out. Etayay always thought there was nothing in the world that could bother her in the form of a question. Eryna would prove her wrong twice in about two minutes, which was a record.

“So… I didn’t really know what she meant at first, but I asked Hetanu and he explained it to me. Has Tonotec ever done that to you? Is that even proper?” Eryna asked. She should have been embarrassed, but her big sister was a person who could be asked anything and answer with no problem.

“Eryna!” Etayay had never felt such shock in her life, did not even know she was capable of it. Her face burned. Was she blushing? She did not know it was possible. And her little sister had the nerve to laugh because she had never seen Etayay so surprised.

“What?” Eryna inquired.

Etayay took a breath. “That question is highly inappropriate and none of your concern.”

Eryna leaned over and arched an eyebrow. “So… is that a yes?”

“Eryna, I will not answer such questions. Just meditate,” Etayay ordered her little sister.

Innya overheard the conversation from the hall and she could not help laughing as she continued on her. She definitely loved chaos. She was certain she could be happy with the new family she had. There was order to her universe once again and Etayay had promised her long ago that she would try her best to keep things that way because Innya deserved a chance to rest up.

-8-8-8-8-

The End… for now. 

There will be more from this universe, so I hope you return as well. Thank you to everyone that read this story. I hope you enjoyed it. I’m returning to my padded cell now, but I’ll be back in a little while. Take care. Hasta…

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna see more of my fanfics, they're all at FFN under [StarvingLunatic](https://www.fanfiction.net/~starvinglunatic). Once again, come say hi to me on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SL-Kassidy-482097488469386/). You can get news about this and other stories. I’m also on Tumblr: [Slunatic](https://slunatic.tumblr.com/)


End file.
